Decode
by fyd818
Summary: There's more magic in Underland than any of them could have anticipated, and decoding the past might be the only way to salvage their future. AlicexHatter .:On Permanent Hiatus:.
1. Failing

Disclaimer: I don't own _Alice in Wonderland_, nor any places, characters, things, or ideas therein. Those belong to Lewis Carroll, Tim Burton, and Disney. I am not claiming ownership of any of things, nor am I making any monetary gain from this story.

Summary: There's more magic in Underland than any of them could have anticipated, and decoding the past might be the only way to salvage their future. AlicexHatter

Rating: T

Warnings: Violence

Pairing: Alice/Hatter

**Author's Note:** This story originally started out as two separate ideas, but as I was individually planning them out, I realized the elements in both complimented each other so well that I decided to combine them into one story, and thus _Decode_ was born. I'm _really_ excited about this one, for not only do I get to play around with Alice and Hatter's deep relationship, I get to delve into Underland's past and a lot of her magic and lore, as well. This starts out about six months after Alice slew the Jabberwocky and left Underland. Thank you all so much for checking out my story, and I hope you enjoy reading it!

**-Decode-**

_fyd818_

**-Chapter 1-**

_Failing_

At first, everything seemed _better_. The Jabberwocky was gone, the Red Queen and her Knave were banished, the White Queen had been restored to the throne, and Underland was peaceful again.

But it didn't take long for things to start falling apart again.

Tarrant Hightopp, Royal Hatter, snapped out of his depression with a suddenness that startled the Queen. Pleased at his eagerness to return to work, she restored him to his workshop, and the orders began pouring in.

For a while everything was going fabulously. Tarrant was _busy_ again, doing what he loved for a kind woman and her court, and when he wasn't _too_ occupied filling orders, he would work on other things on the side - a hat here, a dress there. All were done in the most beautiful shades of blue, and all were assembled for the same person: Champion Alice, who had exploded into his life like a whirlwind - and then left just as quickly, but with promises to come back.

So for a few weeks he happily worked, on requisitioned hats and things of his own creation and reason, losing himself in patterns and colors. Alice had said she would be back soon, and since he really didn't have much choice but to believe her or be miserable, he chose to be happy by believing it.

But then the headaches started.

In the beginning it was a few twinges at the end of the day, and tea and a good night's sleep helped. But then it got worse, developing earlier in the day and growing worse each time, until he was in so much pain he couldn't concentrate on the hats. Eventually his only reprieve came by drawing deeper and deeper into his own Madness.

Queen Mirana then told him to stop making hats, fearing his coming back to his trade after being so long absent had been the cause of his headaches, and thus his Madness. Though she offered to let him stay on in the castle, at least for a while, he left. As she watched his forlorn figure leaving the front gates of Marmoreal, the White Queen found she knew exactly where he was headed: to a dilapidated tea table outside an equally broken-down windmill.

And so it was.

* * *

Time, the cursed fellow, couldn't seem to leave him alone. When he became bored with life as it was, he came to Tarrant for taunting, practically begging for a fight. A fight which, it should be noted, the last Hightopp was never unwilling to take part in.

And so it came that another Great Argument occurred, and Time left in a huff, not dead this time, but in enough of a Mood that he stopped ticking for the poor Mad Hatter. He determined not to go back, at least for a while. That lasted not long at all, for when he did return, bored again with his lot in life, he spitefully went faster, until everything spiraled back out of control and stopped yet again.

Tarrant gazed down the tea table, eyeing all the empty spaces that should be filled. Well, not _completely_ filled, for it was a Invitation Only Tea Party, but at least _more_ filled than it was. But his only companion, at least for the moment, was the March Hare, Thackery. And he didn't seem to mind that Hatter and Time had gotten into a tiff again, because Tea Time had always been his favorite, so being stuck there yet again was rather a treat for him.

"Brillig," Thackery sighed happily, pouring himself some cold tea. The tea wasn't _meant _to be cold, but since neither of them could stray very far from the table, there was no way to warm it.

Movement in the trees caught Tarrant's attention. Eyes widening, he leaned forward, straining to catch a glimpse of what - or _who_ - it was.

But of course he wasn't _that_ lucky. It was only Mallymkun, showing up since it was now teatime for her, too. She crawled up onto her usual stool and poured herself a thimble-full of tea, happily partaking as she looked across at Thackery.

While his two friends happily nattered away at each other, Tarrant sank back into his chair and thus his depression. The endless pounding in his head kept rhythm with the shouting voices in his mind, all of it together always threatening to overwhelm him. Any more he lived in constant fear for, if not his sanity as a whole, the last desperately clinging threads of it.

Was that…?

He leaned forward, squinting into the trees. He was sure he'd seen movement there, and this time it couldn't be Mally, because she was sitting right there, launching sugar cubes at Thackery and laughing merrily. The figure was too small to be Chess or the White Queen, and no one else ever came to visit, so that meant it had to be…

"Alice!"

A great ruckus started with his shout. Thackery dropped his teacup, which smashed against the table, and Mally scurried for cover in her teapot, hatpin sword out and ready for a fight. But Tarrant ignored them both, taking a familiar route up and over the table and off the other side.

"You're back!" Dropping off the end, he went to his knees before the little figure in blue standing before him, a smile on her face. "And not your right-proper Alice-size again, I see. Oh well. We'll take you to the White Queen soon enough, and you can get back to normal there. But you should stay for tea first! We've been waiting it for you." Motioning for her to follow him, he went back up and over the table to his chair, settling in as Alice sat down in the chair next to his, looking extremely happy to be back and content to listen to his ramblings. "I'm glad you're back, don't get me wrong, but you're terribly late again, you know. Though that might be Time's fault, because he went faster before he stopped again, you see, and-"

"Hatta'!"

Tarrant spun to face Mally, who was standing close by with her dark eyes focused on him with a bit of concern. "I'm fine. Thank you." Shaking his head, he leaned closer. "Well, aren't you going to say hello to Alice?"

The little white mouse exchanged a look with Thackery, who was shaking so hard the entire table rattled. "Hatta', Alice isn't here."

"Well of course she is! See, she's right-" There was no one sitting in the seat where Alice had been only a moment before. Tarrant felt the smile slide off his face. His headache, which had been briefly gone in his excitement, came back, twice as vicious as before. "-there." Slumping forward, he thrust his hands up under his hat and threaded his fingers through his wild shock of orange hair. "She was _there_. She _promised_ she'd come back…"

He missed the worried looks that Mally and Thackery traded. The former crept a little closer to her friend. "Mayhap - you know, she forgo' us all las' time. She migh' 'ave done it again."

"It's the not knowing, Mally. And if she did forget, even knowing it would happen - it doesn't ease the hurt, now does it?" Pulling the brim of his hat down over his eyes, now glowing an intense orange, he leaned back in his seat and rested his crossed arms over his chest, ready to try to sleep.

He heard the Dormouse sigh, then a moment later the clink of the lid to her teapot as she went for a nap of her own. Thackery was already snoring, full of tea and sweets and ready to sleep it all off.

If only Tarrant could fall asleep that easily…

_

* * *

_

Fire everywhere. Red and yellow and orange and heat - unbearable heat.

_And to accompany the crackling laughter of the flames, the drumbeat - a throbbing pulse that was alive, as alive as the flames. A rhythm that grew louder and more real by the second, soon drowning out everything: the fire, his own screams, something that sounded like Alice crying his name…_

"Hatta'!"

The feel of icy liquid hitting him full in the face jolted him back to awareness, cooling the fire and cutting his voice off mid-scream. But the drum was still there, very much alive and present in his head.

Even before he was completely aware of his surroundings, he was buckling, bowing at the waist even though he was sitting down. His Hat fell off, unnoticed, and bounced twice before coming to a stop just out of reach. But Tarrant was too lost in the crippling pain that was nearly blinding him to perceive the loss of his most treasured possession.

"Hatta'! Wha's wrong?"

Mally's voice was like a knife driving through his skull straight into his brain. Bright white light exploded behind his eyes, and his chair tilted, dumping him out onto the ground. His stomach lurched unsteadily, and he clamped his lips tight to resist the urge to be sick. He wasn't sure he was entirely able to hold back his groan, though.

"Wha's wrong? You all righ'?"

Tarrant's hands lifted to clamp over his ears. "Not so loud, Mally," he begged in a very, very soft whisper. "Please."

She adjusted her volume accordingly, but there was still quite obviously panic in her voice when she said, "Wha's happenin', Hatta'?"

"I don't know." He was tempted to roll onto his back to help with the nausea, but if he did that, the light would fall directly into his eyes, and that would _not_ help his crushing headache. It felt like someone had wrapped some sort of band around his head and was physically squeezing, and if they kept it up, his head would explode (or would that be _im_plode?) from the pressure.

"Do ya nee' me tae ge' th' Queen?" she whispered.

Tarrant wasn't sure what he needed, other than _relief_. He could hear Thackery's heavy, nervous breathing nearby and knew he had to be frightening his poor friend, but there was nothing he could do about it.

"Tarrant, _why_ are you on the ground?"

The fresh intrusion of loud noise, in the persona of Chessur's voice, sent Tarrant spiraling down into near-unconsciousness from the pain. When the ringing in his ears finally eased and the kaleidoscope of strange colors stopped spinning behind his eyes, he realized Mally had threatened the Vanishing Cat and made him appropriately adjust his volume.

"Feeling a bit under the weather, are we?" While the drawling voice was much closer this time, it was, at least, much quieter as well.

"Ye always ha' a gift for statin' th' obvious, Cat," Tarrant quietly growled. He was afraid his volume, or lack thereof, made it rather less intimidating, though.

"What have you been drinking, Tarrant? You're lying under the table."

The only part of that insult Hatter could appreciate was that Chess was, at least, snickering _quietly_. "Tea," he ground out. "A Darjeeling, I think."

"Cold," Thackery added helpfully. His volume was only slightly adjusted, but despite the knifing pain that caused, Tarrant didn't have the heart to beg him to make the adjustment.

"Well, I always knew I could come to the tea party for excitement, but I must admit that _this_ was a bit more than I was expecting," Chessur said dryly. "By the way, you dropped your Hat."

Without opening his eyes, Hatter reached out and snatched up his headgear, not able to regret his hasty movement even as his head throbbed and his stomach rolled. Hugging the Hat to his chest, he stiffly said, "Thank you. Now go away, the lot of you."

"And leave you under the table on your own, in this state? I don't think that's such a good idea," Chessur said cautiously.

"Chess is right." Mally gently touched Tarrant's forehead with one small paw, withdrawing at her friend's pained moan at even that little pressure. "Sorry."

"I should inform the White Queen." There was a frightening amount of decisiveness in Chess's tone when he said that.

"He needs Alice," Thackery announced. But then he promptly ruined his moment of lucidity by saying, "Teapot," in a wondering tone.

Now in addition to the incredible pain in his head, he felt like someone had ripped his chest in half. So much time had passed. She had forgotten - Underland, her friends, _him_. He'd never see her again.

"Go away," he growled. "All of you - jus' go _away_."

It took one short glance at his orangey-red eyes to convince the trio that perhaps leaving him to his Madness - at least for the moment - was their best move.

But the image of him when they returned, slumped and unconscious in his chair at the head of the wrecked tea table, was more than enough to alert them that something was more than wrong.

Something was _deadly_ wrong.

_~To Be Continued~_

_**Okay, I know the first chapter was really disjointed, and I apologize if that annoyed anyone - but I wrote it that way to try to convey just how **_**wrong_ things are in Underland, and in Hatter's life in particular, now that Alice is gone. And the first chapter was also really depressing, I realize that, too - but please don't kill me yet, I promise I have a plan. Thanks for checking out the first chapter of my new story, and I hope you enjoyed it!_**


	2. Falling

Please see first chapter for disclaimer, rating, warnings, pairings, etc.

**Author's Note: **Thank you all _so much_ for the response to the first chapter! Thirteen reviews? WOW! I'm so glad you all are enjoying the story so much, and I hope you continue to do so. Thank you all again, and I hope you enjoy this chapter!

**-Chapter 2-**

_Falling_

The constant rocking of the boat had been comforting on the trip _to_ China. However, on the trip _from_ China…

Alice Kingsleigh lay in her darkened cabin, an arm draped over her eyes to help make it even darker, trying to keep from losing what little bit she'd been able to eat. When she had left three months previous for China, she had been feeling fine. The headaches had been minimal, and she'd thought it was just stress. But after she'd been in that beautiful place for a while, the headaches became so painful that she was nearly blind with the pain. No one there could help her, so Lord Ascot had bundled her back onto the _Wonder_ to send her home, staying behind at her insistence so they wouldn't lose the business deals they'd been trying to broker.

The door opened, letting in a sliver of light. Alice cringed further into her arm, wishing she could roll onto her side, but afraid to do so because of her nausea.

"I came to check on you." Sarah had worked for the Ascots almost her entire life, as a maid in the household. She had agreed to come along with Alice to China as a lady-in-waiting and a chaperone of sorts, just to make sure everything was done at least _mostly_ properly. She had been nothing less than a lifesaver during Alice's mysterious illness.

"Nothing has changed," Alice whispered hoarsely. "I just hope you do _not_ have any food with you."

"You need to eat. How do you expect to get better if you don't eat? You'll wither away to nothing and blow away in the next good sea breeze we have." A gentle touch of Sarah's fingers across Alice's forehead felt like hammers against her skull.

"I thought we were almost to port." The thought of being on the ship for even a few more _hours_ was almost more than Alice could bear.

"We are. But there seems to be a bit of a storm coming up. It's getting quite windy, and there's an unnatural fog over everything. It might delay us a bit."

Alice was so sick (literally) of the inside of the _Wonder_ - and even more than that, her quarters - she was tempted to cry. She might have if she knew it wouldn't help her head or her stomach.

Despite how dark it was in the room, Sarah seemed to be able to see how her words had affected Alice. Gently rubbing the girl's shoulder in a motherly manner, she said, "It will all be fine, Miss Alice. You'll see. You'll see the doctor, who will discover what's wrong with you and make it better before you know it. And then we'll be back here on the _Wonder_, returning to China, in less than a week. You'll see."

The words were meant to be reassuring, but Alice couldn't be confident in them. She'd had headaches before, bad ones. But there was something about this one that was different - worse. And it wasn't just that it was lasting so long, or getting worse each day. She couldn't put her finger _exactly_ on what was wrong, but she knew something wasn't right.

Typically she was not a negative person. She prided herself on being quite positive, actually. But at that moment, she was feeling quite sure that there was no cure for what she had. She didn't know how, or why, but that she _was_ sure of.

* * *

Alice's homecoming was not at all like what she or any of her family members had envisioned. It was not a grand affair, with celebrating and hugging and laughing. It was, in fact, kept very quiet so the young woman's head would not, in her words, explode from the pain.

The carriage ride from the docks back to her home was the longest Alice had ever taken - including that to the Ascot estate on the fateful day she turned down Hamish's proposal. Though Helen had the drapes drawn, it was still far too light inside, and the sound of normal London life going on, the horse's rolling gait, and the wheels clattering over the cobblestone was enough to make her have to lean out and be sick twice.

Helen Kingsleigh had always been a proper Englishwoman. While she had been more affectionate with her daughters than some women, she had not fawned over them. But now all of her attention was focused on her youngest daughter, trying to find ways to make the trip easier for the ill girl.

"The doctor will be here later today," she said softly as she assisted her daughter up the stairs to her room. "I promise we will get this sorted out as quickly as possible."

Alice was really beginning to wish everyone didn't feel it necessary to reassure her, or be so positively upbeat about it. The fact that it felt like her head had been split in two was not lending itself in any way, shape, or form to positive emotions or thoughts. (Though even the process of _trying_ to think hurt, Alice grimly noted.)

Once she had safely sequestered her daughter in her bed in a mostly-dark room, Helen left to meet the doctor the moment he reached the front door. Though Alice had desperately missed her mother, she was glad to have some time to herself, if for no other reason than to recover from the carriage ride. She still had that horrible bitter taste at the back of her throat, which was throbbing in time with her head. There was a sliver of sunlight leaking through her closed drapes, and though she desperately wished to get up and properly close the drapes, she couldn't find the energy to move to do so.

Alice must have fallen asleep, for the next thing she realized someone was gently touching her shoulder and speaking her name, fortunately in a very soft tone. "Miss Kingsleigh?"

She opened her eyes, but immediately slammed them shut again when bright light stabbed them like red-hot knives. Letting out a wordless moan, she curled her arms over her eyes, trying to block out the light.

"I know the light hurts, Miss Kingsleigh. But I'm afraid I need it to examine you to see what is wrong. Please move your arms so I can have full access to your head."

The voice _was_ kind and gentle, but Alice still had to make an effort to move. She was almost afraid to be examined for fear of what the doctor would - or perhaps would _not_ - find. _Everyone in Underland would be ashamed of me,_ she thought. _They'd tell me I'd lost my muchness again. And perhaps I have…_

The examination did not take as long as Alice thought or feared it would. In fact, it took such little time she was almost miffed, thinking the doctor didn't care enough to do it properly. But when he left he blew out the lamp that had been causing her head so much more pain than necessary, so she couldn't find it in herself to be _too_ cross with him.

Alice fell into a pain-filled stupor for a while, until the door opened again to admit her mother. She was merely a dark shadow in an even darker room until she went to repair the slit in the curtains, when Alice caught a brief glimpse of her face. Though she had taken great care to clean it, her daughters still saw the tracks and the redness she could not wash away on her face and in her eyes.

"Tell me the truth, Mother," Alice begged in a whisper.

For a while the only sound was the swish of her mother's skirts, then the sound of her settling into the chair next to Alice's bed. She was probably gathering herself to say what she needed to. "The truth is, Alice, that the doctor has no idea what's wrong with you. He cannot find any physical trace of _anything_ that causes the symptoms you described for him. You are not running a fever, your eyes react normally to light, and - other things I cannot remember," she said, faltering for a moment.

"So he doesn't believe me," Alice whispered.

"No. That is not it at all. He could tell just by _looking_ at you that you are in great pain. He just cannot find any physical evidence of what is _causing_ your pain." The brushing of Helen's hands over her skirt sounded like pounding footsteps to Alice's sensitive ears, but she didn't say anything. "He doesn't know what to do to treat you," she whispered. "He doesn't know what else to do, for _anything_."

This came as no _real_ surprise to Alice. She knew there was something almost otherworldly about her headaches, so she had been fairly certain the doctor would find nothing, and thus be unable to "fix" her. The only thing she _didn't_ know was if the headaches would kill her. It seemed likely they would, since they kept getting increasingly worse, and even if they _didn't_, living in a dark world barely able to eat and drink, let alone live her life normally, was close enough to death to count.

_So that's it, then._ She found that she was oddly at peace with the idea - save for one thing.

_Tarrant._ She had made a promise six months ago, one she had fully intended to keep at the time. Granted, the moment her hands had hit firm ground outside the rabbit hole, she forgot everything about Underland. But over time a flash of color here, the profile of a man there, a mismatched tea set, or something as simple as a hatpin recalled images in her mind, until she mostly pieced together what she was supposed to remember.

She had been waiting for the opportune moment to return to Underland. It would seem that time had come a little sooner than she had originally anticipated. Now she had to leave the fate of her father's company in Lord Ascot's hands; her mother and sister to their own devices; and the Above world itself to its own time and purpose.

Alice hardly noticed when her mother gently kissed her cheek and left the room. Her mind was spinning with thoughts and plans, and there was no stopping her now.

* * *

Waiting until the house was completely quiet was pure torture. Now that she had everything arranged in her mind and was ready to execute her plan, she was chafing to get started. But she forced herself to wait until everyone had gone to bed, then lit a lamp so she could see to write a letter. She couldn't just _leave_ without doing something for her family and friends. Though the light hurt tremendously, she managed to pen a somewhat intelligible letter, which she folded, sealed, and left on her bed. Then, taking one last look around her familiar room, she left.

The only good thing about waiting until nighttime to make her trip was the fact that it was mostly dark. There was only a quarter moon, so it wasn't _too_ bright, and patchy cloud cover concealed most of the stars. Pulling her wrap a little tighter around her shoulders, Alice debated briefly whether to walk or to try to ride. Her balance wasn't the greatest at the moment, but attempting to walk all the way to the Ascot household didn't seem like a good idea, either. In the end she opted for the horse, praying she wouldn't trip as she saddled the gentle mare she typically used when going horseback riding. Instead of the usual side-saddle, though, she used one of the saddles like the men used. Riding astride would help improve her already shaky balance and hopefully keep her on the horse long enough to get to the Ascot estate.

As she got underway, Alice realized that riding a horse would be safer for her, too. She hadn't really thought about what dangers could befall a young, unaccompanied girl in the middle of the night, but through some miracle she was left alone as she rode. Once or twice she sped up to a canter, but that was only because she was passing through some particularly dark areas, and didn't want to tempt Fate with the walk she'd been keeping Lily reined into.

Once she reached the Ascots', Alice kept her horse to the grass to try to muffle her hoof beats. She didn't want to wake anyone, and she _especially_ didn't want Lady Ascot to release her dogs. She had met the creatures only once, and their ferociousness made her even more homesick for dear, gentle Bayard in Underland.

It took Alice longer than she'd anticipated to find the rabbit hole. Though it had only been a scant six months since she'd last discovered it, everything looked much different in the dark. Landmarks she'd thought she clearly remembered were blurred or even disappeared completely, leaving her riding in circles for a while. Perhaps it was wishful thinking, but she was feeling a little better as she at last dismounted her mare by the old tree with the rabbit hole.

"Thank you, Lily," she said, palming the mare a sugar cube. As the creature happily munched, Alice wished she could talk. What things her horse must have to say… But even if Lily could talk, Alice had no time for conversation. Giving her horse's velvety nose one last stroke, she slapped Lily's rump, knowing the horse would go straight back home.

With that done, she turned back to the rabbit hole. It yawned open before her, dark and a bit intimidating, looking for all the world like a monster's mouth waiting to swallow her up. Shaking off those ridiculous thoughts, Alice knelt next to the hole and peered downward, relieved when she didn't see the bottom. She refused to think this was just a trick of the darkness and, with one last glance around her surroundings to say goodbye to her drab world, swung her legs around and pushed off.

The rush of air in her ears made her head throb even more painfully, but Alice bit back the scream that welled into her throat. She was not afraid, but the sensation of endlessly falling out-of-control with things chasing her in the semi-darkness was a bit unsettling. This time she barely managed to avoid the piano, rolling her body into a little ball so she wouldn't accidentally knock into it and upset its balance. But other things fell with her - books, vases, a phonograph, pictures…

When at last she bounced off the bed, Alice allowed herself to smile. She was so close to Underland now she could almost taste it. And perhaps it was the rush of falling, or the sheer _joy_ of the thought of seeing her friends again, but now she was sure her head wasn't hurting _quite_ as much.

This time she anticipated the fall through the floor onto the ceiling, and was able to adjust herself so she didn't land quite as painfully when the room righted itself. For a moment she lay on her side on the floor, catching her breath and regaining her senses. Her heart was thrumming wildly, just off the beat of the pounding in her head.

Alice had had quite a bit of time to think about what she would do, should she land in the Room of Doors again. In fact, she had changed clothes prior to leaving the house to prepare herself for just such an occasion. First she went to fetch he key to unlock the tiny door that led to Underland. Then she slid off her shoes, thankful when they just fit through the small opening. After that came her dress, which she had a bit more trouble shoving out the door. Feeling rather foolish wearing nothing but her under things, and seriously hoping nothing would happen by and steal her clothes, Alice went back for the pishalver. This time, she determined, she was going to do things _right_.

The drink tasted as nasty as she remembered. But as she shrank and the room seemed to grow larger around her, she decided the horrid taste was well worth it. Awkwardly tying her under things around her in a makeshift dress, Alice got a little bit of the upelkuchen and took off for the door.

She was back in Underland now, and she was going to make whatever time she had left count because she was going to go straight to Hatter, so help anyone who tried to get in her way.

_~To Be Continued~_

_**Thank you all again so much for the reviews, faves, alerts, and support, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Thanks for reading!**_


	3. Wonderland

Please see first chapter for disclaimer, rating, warnings, pairings, etc.

**Author's Note:** So Alice is back in her Wonderland! We get to see the Mad Tea Party and Hatter again in this chapter, so I hope you enjoy it! Thank you all so much for your kind reviews, your faves, and your alerts!

**-Chapter 3-**

_Wonderland_

Despite having had several experiences with both pishalver and upelkuchen, Alice was still quite unused to the feeling of shrinking and growing, especially when she was struggling around with trying to grow back into her dress so she wouldn't be stuck in her under things for longer than strictly necessary. She could already hear the whispers of the flowers as they gossiped about Underland's Champion going about clothed in a very improper way.

By the time she'd finally managed to wiggle her way back into her dress _properly_, she felt the need to drop down on the steps and rest for a while. Though stretching out on the stone wasn't the most comfortable thing in the world, it gave her a chance to regain her energy and put her arm over her eyes for a while. The excitement of being back in Underland and working out how she was going to get through the door and then back to her normal size had lessened the ache in her head for a while, but now it was hurting again, but not as badly as before…

After resting for a while, Alice pushed to her feet and took off. She'd been to Underland twice before, so by then she should know her way around, but she figured she'd still get lost. But she was determined to find her way, and find it soon.

Once she reached the cover of the trees, the glow of the sun was lessened, which offered relief for her head. Relaxing a bit, she meandered her way along, looking for familiar landmarks that would help guide her to her destination. There were still gaps in her memory, and most of that was in directions, unfortunately. Never before had she wished to see Chess more.

A quick glance around left her empty-handed. No mist, no eyes, and no grin - no Chessur. With or without him, though, Alice was determined to find her way to the Mad Tea Party and Hatter, even if it took her all day and half the night. (Not that she knew for sure how far into the day it was, because Time moved differently in Underland, so for all she knew, it was less than an hour from nightfall.)

Alice stopped and rested twice. She was expecting to feel more tired than she was, but oddly enough, she was actually feeling stronger the longer she walked. The throbbing anguish in her head was easing away, now more of an irritation than an actual pain. It made no sense, but she wondered if Underland's strange atmosphere had anything to do with it.

Leaning back against a tree, Alice closed her eyes and let out her breath. She had no idea where in Underland she was, but she hoped she was close. Now that she was back, her stomach was fluttering and her mind was spinning. She had missed all her friends in Underland (once she remembered them), but she had missed none of them as much as she did Hatter. The thought of seeing him again made her excited and nervous all at once.

_What is that?_

Opening her eyes, Alice leaned forward and cocked her head to the side. Very soft, distant sounds were reaching her ears from somewhere. She'd heard that sound somewhere before…

_The phonograph!_

Scrambling to her feet and ignoring the little twinge her head gave, Alice hitched up her skirts and ran toward the sound. A smile burst to life on her lips, and she inwardly chanted, _I've almost made it, I'm almost there, Hatter, I'm coming…_

Now she was sure that she was approaching the tea party, because she could hear voices and the rattle of cutlery, plus the scratchy music from the phonograph, as she got closer. Despite wanting to speed up, she slowed down as she got closer. Though she was quite happy to be back in Underland, she wasn't sure what her reception would be. Would they be overjoyed or angry to see her? She had promised to be back soon, but she was sure more time had passed in Underland than in London.

For a while she stayed concealed in the trees and spied on the tea party, trying to judge the moods of the attendees.

Mallymkun was sitting on her usual stool, dunking bits of scone in her tea before eating them. She was laughing uproariously at Thackery, who was sitting across from her. The March Hare was juggling teapots and cups, chuckling at his own cleverness. At the end of the table closest to Alice sat Chessur, who was slumped over his teacup with his head resting on one paw. From what she could tell from his back and the way his tail drooped, he was bored, but then again, not much could entertain the Cat.

At last she allowed her eyes to drift to the opposite end of the table. Hatter sat quietly, not taking part in the frivolities of his friends. He was staring into his own cup, Hat tilted back a bit on his head, his clothes looking almost as drab as when she'd first seen him the last time she'd been in Underland.

_Get out there, Alice. This isn't going to do any good if you don't just stand up and go out there._ Swallowing hard, she left the shelter of the trees and crept forward, half-hoping they'd notice her soon, and half-hoping they wouldn't.

Predictably, Thackery was the first to observe her approach. His teacups and pots fell and shattered as he stared openly at her, ears twitching as he started vibrating in his chair. He sputtered wordlessly, drawing Mally's attention. She turned from her scone and tea, her small dark eyes widening a bit when she spotted Alice.

This caught Chess's attention. He turned, uninterested smile widening in delight when he caught sight of her. "_The_ Alice!" he greeted.

A wordless growl from the other end of the table drew the three tea-takers' and Alice's attention. She looked toward Hatter, who was glaring at her from beneath his hat brim, his eyes yellow with anger. "A' leas' ye ha' th' courtesy tae be your proper size this time," he snarled at her. "Come tae torture mae again, eh?"

Mally delicately cleared her throat. "She's really 'ere this time, Hatta'," she said softly.

The hot glare was transferred from Alice to Mally. For a moment Hatter regarded his friend in icy silence. Then he stood, marching around the table much as he had to yell at Chessur, who was actually looking interested in the proceedings and quite unlikely to vanish as he usually did at any sign of confrontation.

Alice fought the urge to take a step back at his approach, for in truth she wasn't afraid of Hatter, and never would be. But he did make quite the intimidating picture striding towards her like that, his eyes yellow and ringed with black, his face set in icy fury, his battered hands clenched into fists at his sides.

He stopped right in front of her, his Hat adding additional height to his already impressive figure. He towered over her, glaring right into her eyes. Alice calmly met his gaze, not flinching when his hand shot up next to her face, but hesitated a few inches from her skin. For the first time a flicker of uncertainty showed on his face, though his eyes didn't lighten in color.

Not even Thackery said anything, though he was shuddering so hard the tables rattled slightly. Mally and Chessur were just watching with wide eyes and bated breath, anxious to see what was going to happen next. They knew what Alice didn't, that their friend had become quite mad and unpredictable as of late.

Moving very slowly, so she wouldn't startle him, Alice reached up and took Hatter's hand in her own. He inhaled sharply at the contact, the darkness instantly fading from his skin, the yellow from his eyes. Emboldened by this good sign, she tugged until his palm, covered with a fingerless glove, was resting against her cheek, his fingers just barely touching her hair.

"Alice…" The slight lisping sound at the end of her name indicated his nervousness, the little bit of him that still seemed to fear that she wasn't real.

She had practiced a hundred things to say when she finally came face-to-face with Hatter again, but, ironically enough, the one thing she hadn't thought of was what left her mouth. "Hatter, have you any idea why a raven is like a writing desk?" It seemed like a horribly cliché thing for her to say, but at the same time, she knew it was right the moment she saw his reaction.

A wide grin split Hatter's face, revealing the gap between his top front teeth. Shifting his grip on her hand so his fingers were twined with hers, he tugged her after him toward the tea table. One swipe of his free hand knocked aside the books that had been perched there as a booster - undoubtedly he'd been expecting her to be smaller when she finally returned. He guided her to her seat before going to his own, never once removing his glowing green eyes from her face.

The mood at the table palpably lightened. Thackery giggled and tossed a cup at her, which she (by some miracle) managed to catch. Immediately Hatter reached out and filled it with tea, and Alice didn't care that it was cold when she sipped it. It was tea from the Mad Tea Party, and that's all that mattered to her.

"Alice, luv," Chess drawled from the other end of the table. "How've you been?"

She paused, cup halfway to her lips for another sip. It was only then that she realized her headache had completely vanished, gone as if it had never existed. She was so surprised at that insight that she nearly dropped her teacup onto her lap. "I - much better," she finally managed to stammer out.

Hatter latched on to that immediately. "'Much better'?" he inquired anxiously. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing now," Alice replied. "It was the strangest thing. I had a headache when I left for China, but I just thought it was stress. Ah - China is a place in Otherland. I think you would like it," she said to Hatter, "you and Thackery both. There's all sorts of lovely teas there. Anyway, once I arrived, my headaches kept getting worse and worse. It eventually became so horrible that I couldn't stand light or loud noises. When I returned to London, the doctor couldn't figure out what was the matter with me." She looked down into her teacup, tracing the rim of it for a long moment before continuing. "I came back here to see you all one last time before I - well, at the time, I thought I was going to - I didn't think I would…" She trailed off and swallowed hard, gaining enough courage to lift her head again.

The reactions of her companions were not what she had expected. They were all staring at her, openmouthed, even Chessur. Shock seemed to be the prevailing emotion for all of them, though Hatter's seemed to be tempered by a strange understanding.

Chess's eyes were the first to shift away from her. He looked straight at Hatter and said, "Well, it would seem you're not the only one, then, Tarrant."

Hatter lifted his hand, touching his temple with two fingers. "It _is_ gone," he said in a marveling tone. "Gone, as if it were never there…"

This time it was Alice's turn to stare. "Wait - _you_ had a headache as well?"

"'Orrible, it was," Mally interjected.

"His only relief was to lose himself to the Madness," Chessur tacked on.

Tarrant briefly glared at the two before turning back to Alice. "Aye. It started out slowly, just a bit of an ache at the end of the day. Eventually it got so bad, it was just like you said. The White Queen made me stop making hats - thought that was what made me - well." He shook his head. "But it's gone now, completely."

Thackery banged his spoon on the table to get everyone's attention. "Something strange is going on - better go see the White Queen." Without looking, he reached into the teapot next to him and held up his pocket watch, which oddly _still_ didn't look the worse for the wear after being soaked in tea for so long. "Tick-tick."

Startling slightly, Hatter reached for his own watch. He squinted at it for a moment. "So you're right, old friend." Pocketing it again, he stared morosely at his teacup. "Shame to waste good tea, though."

Chess cleared his throat. "The fact that you both had such bad headaches at the same time, not to mention the fact that they both_ vanished_ at the same time, means they're connected somehow," he said. His grin widened that impossible bit more (though Alice had learned that there was not much that _was_ impossible in Underland, if there were anything). Then, as he vanished into wispy grey smoke, he drawled, "_Quite_ the connection."

"We'll _all_ go," Mally said, looking irritated. She glared at Tarrant. "An' this time, if'n ye don' go, Ah'll poke ye so hard yer grandchildren'll feel it."

Hatter's cheeks darkened slightly, and Alice realized he was blushing. "Aye, we'll go." He jumped up so fast he nearly upset the first table in line. Bowing slightly to Alice, he held out his hand to help her stand. "Forgive me if I don't offer you a ride on my Hat this time, but being your right-proper Alice-size, I don't think you'll fit."

Chuckling slightly, Alice accepted his hand and stood. "It's quite all right. I think I'd like to walk this time, if _you_ don't mind."

Mally's eyes brightened. "Does this mean _Ah_ ge' tae ri'?" she asked hopefully.

Without hesitation Hatter swept off his Hat and held it out, and a moment later the Dormouse was settled happily on the brim. Alice missed the look of triumph the little white creature shot in her direction.

Thackery stuffed a couple of scones into inside pockets of his coat, snatched up his pocket watch and spoon, and then hopped off his chair. "Sugar Marmoreal!" he declared.

Alice barely smiled at the Hare's strange words. As she walked silently next to Tarrant, with Mally riding on his Hat brim and Thackery hopping along ahead of them, she couldn't get her mind off of the fact that Hatter, too, had been afflicted with a headache. And, more than that, one _exactly_ like hers. And hadn't she noticed that her own had been getting better once she got to Underland?

_But what if it wasn't Underland itself?_ her inner voice whispered. _After all, Hatter had the headache, too. If Underland had properties that takes care of those sorts of things, it seems extremely unlikely that he'd suffer from it, too. So what if it was your proximity to _each other_ that made your headaches vanish?_

The heat rushed straight up her neck and into her cheeks at that thought. It was an absolutely ridiculous assumption, and yet…

…And yet, could she really rule anything out in Underland? _Especially_ since the idea of it wasn't so awful, even if it was a tad embarrassing?

She just hoped that once they reached Marmoreal, the White Queen would have the answers they were seeking.

_~To Be Continued~_

_**The plot thickens... I had a great time writing this chapter, so I hope you all enjoyed it! Thanks for reading, and the next one should be up within the next couple of days!**_


	4. Marmoreal

Please see first chapter for disclaimer, rating, warnings, pairings, etc.

**Author's Note**: The end of this chapter has been my favorite thus far in this story to write. Thanks to everyone who reviews and alerts my stories, you all literally do keep me writing. Thanks again, and I hope you enjoy this chapter!

**-Chapter 4-**

_Marmoreal_

Alice was back! And this time she wasn't his imagination. She was actually there, quietly walking alongside him, looking exactly as he'd remembered her, but - somehow better.

His right hand kept twitching, no matter how hard he tried to keep it still. It wanted to reach out of its own will and touch Alice - her arm, her hair, her hand. The few brief moments he'd touched her before still warmed his palm, leaving a somewhat tingly feeling behind.

There were so many things he wanted to ask her, to tell her; at the same time, all he wanted to do was sit down and stare at her until he had her re-memorized. He hadn't realized how much his mental image of her had faded until he came face-to-face with her again. Or maybe it wasn't so much that his memory of her had faded, it was that she'd changed while Above. He had yet to determine if the changes wrought in her were good or bad.

The same thought kept spinning through his mind, unwilling to leave him alone. _Alice is back! She's back, she's here, she's in Underland again!_ Another thought hovered just beyond - how _long_ was she going to stay this time? - but he didn't allow himself to think about that one just yet. She was there _now_, and that was what really mattered.

Since Alice seemed quite content to walk in silence, Tarrant swallowed back everything he was wanting to say. There would (hopefully) be time to talk later. After the White Queen had figured out what the connection was between his headache and Alice's, and why they had vanished at exactly the same time.

It seemed like half of forever before the spires of Marmoreal finally came into view. Letting out a sigh of relief, Tarrant unconsciously sped up a bit. The silence between him and Alice had become awkward, and he wasn't sure what to do to break it.

Whispers immediately started whenever the occupants of the palace spotted the group headed to the throne room. Tarrant heard the word "Champion" mentioned several times, and it made him smile. It would appear everyone else was happy to have Alice back in Underland, though he doubted any of them were as happy as he.

Mirana was sipping tea when the quintet entered her throne room. She looked delighted to see them, but even more so when she spotted who was with them. "Alice!" Setting her teacup aside, she stood from her throne and swept down to come embrace the returned Champion. "You've returned to Underland!" The joy in her voice was palpable.

Alice's cheeks flushed becomingly. Though she opened her mouth to say something more, Mirana had already gone on. "We've all missed you so much! But please, you all must stay for tea. I want to hear all about how you were able to return, Alice." She spun away gracefully, lowering her hands to pour more tea for her friends.

Stepping forward, Alice twisted her fingers together. "Though it is nice to see you again, Your Highness - _all_ of you - I'm afraid I've come more for answers than a social visit."

Lifting her head from the tea set, Mirana looked at her in surprise. "Whatever is wrong?" she asked, sounding slightly anxious.

Tarrant stepped up next to Alice. "That's just the thing," he said. "We're not sure. We were hoping you would be able to tell us."

"Wha' he's not tellin' ye, Majesty," Mally added from Tarrant's Hat, "is that 'is headache is gone. An' it would appear our Champ'n 'ad th' same thin' - until sh' came back."

Smiling thinly, Alice nodded slightly in affirmation of the Dormouse's words.

Mirana abandoned the tea and sat down on her throne again, forehead wrinkled slightly. Tarrant wasn't sure if it was in thought or concern, though.

"It got better after I came back to Underland, Queen Mirana, but the closer I got to Hatter, the better my head felt. And once I reached the Tea Party - well, it vanished completely. It's like I never had a headache. While I was in Otherland, though, my head hurt so badly I couldn't stand to be around light or loud noises. It felt like my head was being crushed. But now, there's no pain. At all."

"And though I didn't notice it at first, the same thing happened to me," Tarrant added. "Once Alice arrived at Thackery's, my headache was gone. There was no more pain." Even when he'd escaped into his Madness, more now than even before, the pain had still been present. Even his one escape had not been working anymore, though he hadn't wanted to mention it. Madness was bad enough without having to call attention to it at every turn.

A wisp of blue smoke swirled past him, then manifested itself into Chessur. "So you haven't figured it out yet, have you?" he drawled, eyes wide with excitement.

Mirana looked as displeased to see the Cat as Tarrant felt. "What are you talking about, Chessur?" she asked.

A swish of his tail conveyed his smugness even more than his expression. He looked like the time he'd gotten into the cream while Thackery had been preparing tea, which had caused the poor Hare to nearly fall apart until he was able to find a suitable replacement. Tarrant always remembered _that_ incident with distaste, because his friend had decided vinegar had been the "suitable" replacement. The back of his throat burned at the memory.

"I'm here to help, of course," Chess said. He examined his paw with feigned concentration. "But if you don't _want_ my assistance…"

"Are ye suggestin' th' Queen don't know wha's wrong?" Mally demanded. The tip of her hatpin sword appeared from beyond Tarrant's brim, and he fought the urge to duck so his friend wouldn't accidentally poke his eye out. She seemed to have a fondness for doing that…

A sigh from the direction of the throne drew their attention in that direction. Mirana had lowered her hands to her lap, where she'd primly folded them and was even then studying them studiously. "That's just the thing," she said softly. "I _don't_ know what's wrong. I shall have to consult Absolem and the Library, I fear." She looked at Tarrant and Alice apologetically. "I shall try to be quick, but for the moment, I think it best you stay close to each other. Whatever is happening, it seems to be connected to your proximity to each other. So it's best if you don't wander too far. I will let you know when I have something." Gracefully accepting everyone's bows, she exited the throne room, hands floating in the air. Chess grinned a little wider and swept his tail downwards over his face, vanishing into smoke as he did so.

Thackery glared after the Vanishing Cat for a moment - obviously he still remembered the Cream Incident - before heading off in the general direction of the kitchen. Even though the clock was ticking for him again, he would be working on tea-things. Tea was his favorite thing, so he was always doing something related to tea time.

This left Tarrant, Alice, and Mallymkun alone in the throne room together. For a while the three stood in awkward silence until the Dormouse finally cleared her throat. Hatter and Alice both jumped at the sudden sound. "Tea, anyone?" Mally inquired.

Tarrant gently set his friend down by the tea service, ignoring her glower as he turned back to Alice. She was looking at him with wide eyes, her mouth open as if to ask him a question, but no sound was coming out of her mouth. At last she closed her mouth and shrugged apologetically.

All the things he'd wanted to ask and tell her earlier had fled his mind. Inwardly cursing his madly forgetful memory, he tried to recall something, _anything_, to his mind to fill the awkward silence between them.

At last an image of his abandoned workshop came to mind, and he nearly jolted with relief. Hoping everything was just as he'd left it, he reached out to grasp Alice's hand in his. "Come with me," he requested.

Alice looked relieved as her fingers curled around his, and she allowed him to tug her after him as he led her toward his workshop. It wasn't _too_ far away from the throne room, but there were several halls and confusing turns between the two places.

"I'm glad you know where you're going," Alice said with a soft laugh. "I think I could quite easily get lost in here if I didn't have you as a guide."

Tarrant remembered his first few days - weeks, really - in Marmoreal. The place _was_ quite a maze until you'd been there for a while and got used to the twists and turns. "It is confusing, but you get used to it all after a while," he told her reassuringly.

A flash of darkness crossed Alice's face, but it was gone almost as soon as it was there. He glanced away quickly, wondering if his words had betrayed his hope that she would permanently stay in Underland now. He had wanted to ask her how long she was staying, but perhaps not _this_ soon. And the very last thing he wanted to do was press her and potentially frighten her into returning Above.

The whole thing was enough to make him go even madder. But he was saved by the familiar door to his workshop, and he flung it open and stepped back with a nervous smile. "My workshop," he whispered.

Alice glanced at him with a bright smile before preceding him into the room. For a moment she stood still just within the door, her intent eyes gazing around, wide with what he _hoped_ was pleasure. He noticed that things were a bit disorganized, since he hadn't cleaned it up after Mirana had come in and told him, however gently, that it would be best if he stopped working, at least for a while.

He followed her, leaving the workshop door open behind him, as she almost crept across the room and reached out to touch a hat sitting on one of the shelves on the wall. "Beautiful," she whispered.

Tarrant had to bite his tongue so he wouldn't agree with her, except he wouldn't have been talking about the hat. "I made it for you," he said softly.

She spun so quickly her long hair almost slapped him in the face. "_Me_?" Her eyes were wide again, this time with disbelief.

Reaching past her shoulder, he picked up the hat and cradled it in his hands. "If you don't like it, I-I can remake it," he said. "Or - this whole shelf, they're all for you. Once I got started, it was hard to stop, and I just kept making them, and each time what I thought looked like an Alice-hat was complete, I put them on this shelf, hoping you would come back so I could give them to you because I made them for you, after all, and-"

Alice took a step forward, resting one of her hands over his. "Tarrant," she prompted.

He stopped cold. This time it was he staring at her in wide-eyed surprise, for that was the first time he could recall her ever speaking his given name, not his title which had become a sort of nickname. "You called me Tarrant," he said before he could stop himself.

Her expression suddenly went guarded as she stepped away from him. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "I won't do it again if it-"

"No," he said, a little louder than he'd intended. "I-I like it."

A very small smile curled up Alice's lips, and a sudden urge to kiss her had him scrambling to place the hat atop her head. It would be difficult to kiss her if they were both wearing hats… Taking her hand, he led her a few feet over so he could pull the sheet off the looking glass he kept there. When someone wasn't admiring one of their hats in it, he kept it covered, for he didn't like to see his own reflection. Ever.

Alice tilted her head to the side, one hand lifting to touch the brim of her blue and white headpiece as she smiled at her image in the looking glass. If not for the dirt smudged on the dress she was wearing, not to mention the tears and ragged hem, the two pieces would have complimented each other perfectly. He remembered that he'd just started working on a dress to match the hat when the Queen had ordered him to stop…

Unintentionally, he looked up. His eyes caught Alice's in the mirror, and for a long time they just looked at each other's reflections, a thousand silent questions and answers and promises passing between them. He desperately wanted to voice half of them, but he couldn't. Not only did he not know if she had come to _stay_ this time (and he was too afraid to ask), but he was scared to speak, for fear he'd break the spell. There was still a part of him, after all, that was afraid he had gone completely Mad and was having the most realistic hallucination he'd ever had.

His eyes drifted from Alice's perfect, smiling image to his own reflection, shocking and hideous in comparison. And there it was - hints of yellow around his mismatched pupils, a growing blackness around his eyes. For a moment he was caught in his own rapidly-morphing glare, watching as orange swallowed the green in his eyes and he remembered why he never got near a looking glass. He felt his fingers curl into fists at his sides as a great shuddering started in his core, threatening to shake him apart. In his eyes he saw the demons he was constantly at war with, forever trying to fight off though he knew it was a losing battle. His fist lifted, ready to shatter the glass that was surely mocking him…

And then came an entirely new sensation, the feeling of warmth pressed against his chest, arms around his middle, a head resting just beneath his chin. Of their own accord his hands shifted course, fingers opening and relaxing as they met the soft silk of Alice's hair. The tension slid out of his body, and at last he was able to break his own gaze and look down at the girl - nae, _woman _now, even more than she had been the last time she'd come - pressed up against him, face buried against his bowtie. He felt where she had fisted one hand into his jacket, and where she was clutching her hat in the other.

Tarrant opened his mouth to apologize, but his throat was too dry to allow any sounds to escape. So instead he smiled and gently patted the back of Alice's head before he reached down to unwind her arms from his waist. He had to get her a proper distance away from him before he gave in to the almost overwhelming urge to lower his head and kiss the golden head resting less than an inch from his lips.

If Alice felt the tremor in his body, most particularly his hands, she didn't show it. She hesitated a moment before yielding to his gentle but firm touch, lifting her head to smile softly at him. Then, reaching up to put her hat on, she turned and tossed the sheet over the looking glass again, adjusting it until she was sure it covered every inch of the mirror and wouldn't accidentally slip. When she turned to face him again, the expression in her eyes shone with understanding.

He remembered Alice's having once told him that she believed in six Impossible Things before breakfast. Well, it wasn't before breakfast, but he was pretty sure that he'd just come up with six (or more) Impossible Things in the span of two seconds. They all had to do with him, and Alice, and that ever-elusive Happily-Ever-After.

Impossible Things, indeed.

_~To Be Continued~_

_**I hope you all enjoyed reading that as much as I did writing it! Thanks again, and I hope you enjoyed it!**_


	5. Investigations

Please see first chapter for disclaimer, ratings, warnings, pairings, etc.

**Author's Note**: Sorry it's taken me a little while to get this chapter up - Mirana was being a little difficult to write, then my power went out (thankfully I didn't lose my document when it did!), then my beta took a couple days to get back to me. But here it is now! Once more, thank you for all the reviews, and I hope you enjoy this new chapter!

**-Chapter 5-**

_Investigations_

Mirana would be lying (and though she was Mistress of White Lies, she tried not to make a habit of it) if she said she had _not_ noticed the attraction between her Royal Hatter and her Champion the last time the latter had been in Underland. She had seen their looks and smiles. It had been too long since Underland had had a good Romance, in anything other than Fiction, anyway.

The Library at Marmoreal boasted the rather impressive status of being the largest and most complete in Underland. Shelf after shelf after bookcase full of scrolls and leather-bound volumes filled the enormous room, and interspersed chairs allowed a Gentle Reader the comfort of enjoyment for however long he or she wished to stay. Mirana had spent many an afternoon escaping into the Library, sometimes for business, sometimes for pleasure.

It was for the former that she was there today. For a moment she stood looking around, at a loss as to where to begin. Though she prided herself on being familiar with her Library, and able to lay her hand immediately on any given scroll or volume at any given (or particular) time, this was one instance when she didn't know where to begin. Prophecy? Afflictions? History? Fiction?

Blue mist at her side quickly materialized into Chessur. "It would seem we have quite the daunting task before us, Majesty."

Mirana hummed a noncommittal response and turned down the row of bookcases labeled "Afflictions." A headache was an affliction, and hopefully there would be some answers there.

Chess floated along behind. "Have you any theories?"

She paused with her fingers lightly resting on the spine of _A Compendium of Underland Poisons, Cures, and Annoyances_. "One or two," she said vaguely. "But I would prefer to keep them to myself until I've done more research. There's no point in getting everyone excited, and then being wrong."

"Perhaps we should consult Absolem and the Oraculum? Perhaps they have some input on this subject." Chess headed upwards to the top shelves, where he carefully ran a claw along a shelf as he read the titles of the volumes there.

The thought had crossed her mind, but Mirana had had a glimpse of the Oraculum less than a week beforehand, and had seen nothing in particular relating to either Alice _or_ Hatter, let alone them together. And surely Absolem would have come to her if there were anything interesting or serious to report, though one could never be entirely certain when it came to the enigmatic and sometimes irritating blue butterfly who was Keeper of Underland's historical records.

Pulling down the book she'd had her fingers on, she opened the cover and flipped through the pages, scanning for anything that seemed even remotely similar to what was happening to her friends. The illustrations and chapter titles told of a little bit of everything, but nothing like what she was looking for.

So it went for the entire afternoon. Mirana and Chess poured over the Library's contents, finding all sorts of interesting things, but never what in particular they were looking for. The material on headaches in general numbered _ad infinitum,_ and even the specifics had no mention of shared headaches.

Mirana closed the leather cover of yet another volume with a little more ferocity than she normally would have. Slumping a bit in her chair, she gazed at the pile of resources lying at her feet. Eventually she and Chess had worked out a system - the Cat would bring anything promising to her, and she would look it over as he kept looking. It worked faster that way, though, apparently, it was no more efficient than the pair of them searching together. "I don't know, Chess. We're no closer to answers than we were when we started, and…" She trailed off, holding up her hands hopelessly.

The feline stretched in midair, cracking his back and paws loudly. "Well, Your Majesty, Marmoreal was not built in a day. I seriously doubt we can find these answers in a day, either."

Mirana fingered the frayed edges of the scroll in her lap. "I hate leaving things undone," she fretted slightly.

"We all need sleep," Chess said. "And food. I do believe it is almost dinnertime, and you know how that Hare gets when we are late, after he's spent all that time cooking."

A quick glimpse at the windows proved the Cat right. "The entire afternoon is gone already. Hmm." Setting the scroll aside, Mirana got to her feet and subtly stretched out the kinks that had worked their way into her body over the course of the afternoon. "Will you help me again after the evening meal, Chessur?"

"The light will be bad," he warned. "It's best to wait till tomorrow. At your discretion, of course, milady." He sketched a mini-bow in midair.

"No, no, you're right." Mirana sighed, chafing at the thought of going to bed and trying to sleep knowing there was a job left incomplete, questions left unanswered. "We'll start first thing after breakfast, then."

Mirana barely had time to return to her chambers and freshen up before she went to the dining hall for dinner. The only one who had managed to precede her was Thackery, and she was pretty sure that was only because he was carrying dishes from the kitchen into the dining hall. "It looks and smells wonderful," she complimented the Hare.

His nervous shuddering eased for a minute as he fairly glowed at her praise. "Thank you, Majesty," he said. Then he bowed and skittered back in the direction of the kitchen. He was undoubtedly going to retrieve more dishes, though the table was already groaning under the weight of a feast not seen since Frabjous Day.

Mally and Chess were the next to come in, though they entered through different doors and gave each other distasteful looks. Mirana motioned for them to join her at the table, smiling when the twins Tweedledee and Tweedledum came in, arguing in loud voices over whether or not that had been _the_ Alice they'd seen earlier in Tarrant Hightopp's hat workshop.

Mirana cleared her throat pointedly, and the two guiltily started and hurried to bow to her. "I can settle your argument right now, boys," she said. "That _was_ indeed _the_ Alice you saw earlier. She returned to Underland earlier today, and Tarrant, Thackery, and Mally escorted her here."

The Tweedles nearly fell over each other in excitement as they danced about with joy. They were still happily shouting when the aforementioned Champion walked into the room, her hand easily resting in the crook of Tarrant's arm.

"Alice!" The twins shouted her name in joy and ran to greet her. The White Queen looked on fondly as the young blonde greeted them with all the appropriate joy and enthusiasm the Tweedles were looking for, though Mirana was able to detect a kind of distance in the other woman's expression that had not been there earlier. She wondered what had happened while she'd been in the Library, but then scolded herself for wishing to poke her nose in where it was not invited.

"Sorry to be late," Alice said as she curtsied. She had changed from her torn and dirty dress that she'd worn when she first arrived in Marmoreal. Now she wore a beautiful creation done in varying shades of blue with silver piping, a matching hat perched delicately on her head. Mirana recognized both, since she'd seen them in Hatter's workshop before. She'd had a feeling Tarrant had been working on things for Alice, but this confirmed it. It made her smile to realize this.

"It's fine," she said, motioning both Alice and Tarrant to seats just as Thackery returned with what was hopefully the last dish. "You were not late, dears. We were all merely early."

Thackery finally sat down next to Nivens McTwisp, who had come in without Mirana noticing. Reaching for her teacup and spoon, she gently rang the former with the later and smiled. "Let the meal begin!"

For a while she was content to sit and allow the merry conversation to flow around her. Most of it centered around Alice, who was regaling them with tales of her adventures in a place called China in the Aboveland after she was begged. It didn't escape Mirana's notice that the Champion's free hand remained on Tarrant's arm, or the way that the tenseness in his body belied the fact that he would have fallen into Madness without Alice's touch. Once more she marveled at the bond her two dear friends seemed to share.

"I discovered several new and wonderful kinds of tea there," Alice said. "I meant to bring some back with me, but things were a little - _rushed_ at the end, and I did not have the opportunity."

Tarrant's hand visibly tightened on his fork, and his jaw flexed. The White Queen could not tell if the motion was done in anger or regret.

Guilt once more poked at Mirana with icy fingers. Despite the fact that she was enjoying the meal fixed in celebration of Alice's returning, she couldn't help but feel like she should still be in the Library, trying to figure out what had caused the headache that had forced the Champion to cut her trip to China short, and Hatter to have to stop making hats. Though, at the moment anyway, neither of them seemed to be suffering from any pain at all.

Mirana decided to make herself stop worrying, at least for the duration of the celebration. Alice was practically glowing, she looked so happy to be back in Underland. She apparently wasn't allowing the problems that had brought her there to plague her, so she decided not to let them bother her, either.

In the end, Mirana felt a little rueful. She had planned several parties and balls in honor of Underland's Champion's return, but it seemed that Alice was far happier just having her closest friends around her instead of being the center of a large group's attention. It would be a shame to waste all those plans, though… Perhaps she'd arrange one or two little balls.

By the time the meal ended, Mirana was convinced of one thing. It was obvious that Tarrant and Alice's proximity to each other was directly related to their headaches - they were seated next to each other at dinner and showed no ill effects. But they had both said that their heads had hurt almost unbearably as long as they were separated from each other. Something about this tickled a memory at the back of her mind, but the stubborn thing refused to be pinned down and examined properly. Hopefully she would be able to capture and examine it later.

Almost an hour after dinner and everyone had gone their separate ways, Mirana was chafing with inactivity. As Chess had said, trying to do anything in the Library after sundown was pointless, for though there were several lamps, it wasn't the best lit at night, and even the bright moonlight shining in the windows wasn't enough illumination. But she couldn't unwind herself enough to sleep, and it was far too early for such an activity anyway. So she summoned Alice for tea, if the Champion so wished. She had a few things she wanted to discuss with the girl, anyway.

She was pleased when, only a few minutes later, Alice was announced to be at the door. Glad that the tea she sent for wouldn't go to waste, she invited Alice in and motioned her to a seat across from hers, then poured them some of the warm drink.

Alice accepted her cup with a smile, her eyes closing as she sipped at the warm brew. "It's so nice to be back in Underland," she sighed. "Tea just never tasted the same Above."

Mirana leaned back, cradling her own cup in her hands. "I always say there's something Thackery does to the brew," she said diplomatically. She had sensed Tarrant's reluctance to say anything that might frighten Alice into going back Above, and was following his lead. For no matter how much she felt like Alice had become the sister she'd been sorely lacking in Iracebeth, she knew she had to walk on the proverbial eggshells until she knew for sure what her Champion's long-range plans were.

"I have little doubt of that." Alice laughed lightly. "What he made at dinner was fabulous as well. He's quite the cook."

"As long as you don't interrupt him and get him sidetracked," Mirana agreed. She glanced down at her cup, debating whether or not to ask the question hovering right on the edge of her tongue. Usually she could pride herself on being patient, but for some reason, on this matter, all of her patience had fled. Her anxiety and curiosity was ruling her, and she couldn't be ashamed of that fact.

Alice leaned forward slightly. "Highness? Are you all right?"

Looking up, Mirana smiled. "Fine," she assured her. "I was just wondering if it would be all right if I asked you a question?" It felt a little strange asking permission of someone else, since usually it was people coming to _her_ for permission to do things.

A soft smile curled Alice's lips. "Well you are the monarch," she said humbly. "If you would like to ask a question, I should think that would be your right. I will answer it if I can, and as truthfully as I can." Now she was looking a little worried, though.

"How long are you planning on staying in Underland this time, Alice?" There, she'd asked the question they'd all been thinking since Alice had reappeared. Now all she could do was wait for the answer and hope she hadn't frightened the Abovelander.

Alice looked thoughtful instead of frightened, however. "To be honest, Your Highness, I hadn't really thought about it. When I came down here, I anticipated that it would be for the rest of my life. Then again, I had not, at the time, anticipated that the rest of my life would be long. Now, however…" She trailed off and shrugged. "I think I need a bit of time to think about it. But I honestly don't think you have to worry about me vanishing any time soon."

Mirana felt the tightness in her shoulders and stomach ease a bit. Underland - not to mention Tarrant - had not been the same during their Champion's absence. She could not bear to think of what it would be like were she to leave again. "That is good to hear," she said. She knew her relief was quite obvious on her face and in her voice.

"I must admit that I did not completely remember Underland when I left," Alice continued, her gaze focused firmly on the rim of her teacup. "I remembered things as I went about life Above. But when I did remember…" The fingers of her opposite hand lifted to her arm, brushing over the scars left by the Bandersnatch. "Regardless, I'm back now, with no intentions of leaving again any time soon."

That was one worrisome item off Mirana's list. Now, if only finding out what was wrong with Alice and Tarrant would be that easy to answer…

_~To Be Continued~_

_**Thanks again for all the reviews, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Hopefully the wait for the next one won't be quite so long...**_


	6. Inquisitions

Please see first chapter for disclaimer, rating, warnings, pairings, etc.

**Author's Note:** Thank you all so much for your kind words about the last chapter! I'm glad Mirana's POV sounded so natural to you all. I don't know if I'll do her POV again in the course of the story - I might, but we'll have to see. In the meanwhile, I hope you enjoy this chapter, and thanks for reading!

**-Chapter 6-**

_Inquisitions_

The soft glow of the oil lamps, one on her dressing table and the other her nightstand, gave off just enough light for Alice to see to change into her nightclothes. She had not brought anything but the clothes on her back with her, yet there had been several dresses and the like waiting for her in her room at Marmoreal. She knew who had made the dresses, but wondered who had made the nightgowns and pajamas.

After brushing out her hair, Alice puffed out the lamp sitting on her dressing table and headed for the inviting bed. It had been a long day, not just in Otherland but in Underland as well, and the thought of getting a night's rest without a threatening headache or any other interruptions was magnificent. Knowing Tarrant was on the other side of the wall helped too, especially since his proximity was keeping her headache at bay. It was, at the least, a good temporary measure.

She blew out the other lamp and crawled into bed with a sigh of relief. All the sore kinks and aches in her body eased away, and she felt herself relaxing. She had been preparing to crawl into bed when the messenger from Mirana had arrived, and with him an invitation to tea. What Alice _really_ wanted to do was crawl into bed and go to sleep, but she had gone to tea for several reasons. She hadn't wanted to offend her hostess, more than that, the _queen_; she had dearly missed Underland and its inhabitants; and she was insanely curious to know if Mirana had discovered anything during her investigations earlier in the day.

Disappointment was her answer to the final. Mirana and Chessur had gone through a lot of materials but turned up nothing to even hint at the reason why Tarrant and Alice were sharing a headache, and why their being near each other made it disappear. She had noticed that even when she went across the castle to have tea with Mirana, thus moving away from Tarrant, that her headache had returned with a few twinges, but it had been nothing unmanageable. She still mentioned it to the Queen, however, in case it was important to her research.

Rolling onto her side, Alice gazed out the glass doors leading to her private balcony. The moon was high in the sky, spilling beautiful silver light across the carpets on the floor. She admired the patterns, which she realized with a start were of her, in the style of the Oraculum - moving pictures that depicted her at the Mad Tea Party, the small her perched on the rim of Tarrant's Hat on their interrupted journey to Marmoreal, all of them gathered in front of the castle on the morning of the Frabjous Day, and, lastly, her and Tarrant facing each other on the battlefield, the others quietly gathered to the side. She realized they were all telling the story of the last time she'd been in Underland, and wondered if, like the Oraculum, the pictures would continue to draw themselves across her rugs to include this visit (not really visit, she reminded herself, this _stay_). For a while she watched the shifting scenes, which were almost hypnotic in their looping motions.

When at last her eyelids grew too heavy to hold open anymore, she allowed them to sag shut. Her imagination took her immediately to dreamland, where she relived the more enjoyable portions of her last time spent in Underland…

* * *

Alice woke feeling surprisingly refreshed. For a moment she lay still in bed, taking in her unfamiliar surroundings. At last she remembered - the headache, returning to Underland, seeing Tarrant again, having tea with the White Queen…

Feeling a happy smile curl her lips, she scurried out of bed and went to complete her morning ablutions and dress. She wasn't sure what the exact specifications for breakfast in Marmoreal were, but she knew someone who would.

A scant few minutes later, she quietly knocked on the door to the room next to hers. "Tarrant? It's Alice."

The door flew open even as she was drawing her hand back to knock again. Tarrant stood framed in the doorway, the sun shining on his bare head and glittering in his bright green eyes. "You're not a dream!"

His near-shout of pleasure startled her. "Excuse me?"

Tarrant blinked, suddenly looking shy. "I - sorry. I woke up this morning wondering if your coming back to Underland was just a dream." He cleared his throat and smiled. "Let me try this again. Good morning, Alice." He bowed slightly at the waist, looking like the butler at home, except much younger, more handsome, and a lot friendlier.

She couldn't help but smile. "Good morning, Tarrant."

Standing, he shifted slightly from foot to foot, seeming a little anxious. "Have you had breakfast yet?" he finally asked.

"No, not yet. I think I overslept a bit, and I wasn't sure if there were certain protocols for breakfast in Underland or not." Alice smoothed her skirt, hoping her modest tea-style dress was good enough for breakfast in the palace.

Tarrant smiled. "It's all right. Breakfast is usually very casual here, unless you're invited to a big to-do by the Queen. I usually go down to the kitchen, and Thackery whips something up for me. You can come, too." He offered her his arm, and then they were off.

Alice had seen bits and pieces of the White Castle over her times in Underland, but Tarrant took her a way she'd not been before, allowing her to see more than she had before. He pointed out rooms of interest along the way, and soon enough they were ducking their way into the kitchen.

"Yer la' fer breakfas'!" A bowl of something whisked over their heads and spattered on the wall behind them. This time Alice didn't do a taste test as she followed Tarrant over to the counter.

"Apologies," Hatter said to Thackery. "I don't suppose you have any leftovers from breakfast?"

"Si' down," Thackery said to them. "Ah'll make ya somethin' new." Laughing crazily, the March Hare headed for the big stove standing against the back wall.

Alice and Tarrant pulled stools up to the counter and sat down. Hatter poured them tea as Thackery happily chopped and cooked and sang to himself in Outlandish. For a few minutes the two humans sat and sipped in comfortable silence as they watched the Hare go about his work.

"Has Mally been in for breakfast yet, Thackery?" Tarrant finally asked.

"Aye." Thackery wove the word into the rhythm of his song, not even bothering to turn from his cooking.

Leaning against the counter, Alice spun her teacup between her hands and sighed. "It feels wonderful to be back in Underland again," she said. "Back among my friends, and people who understand me."

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Tarrant look hopefully at her. "Does this mean you'll be staying?" he whispered. The look on his face, in his eyes, almost made her cry. He looked like he so desperately wanted to believe that she was, but was afraid to let himself hope and be crushed again when she said no.

Like she'd told Mirana, she hadn't really given much thought to the long-term. She'd been in Underland for less than a day, actually, and overnight she'd been too busy getting rest to think about it. "When I originally came, I intended to stay in Underland for the rest of my life," she said truthfully. "Then again, at the time, I had not anticipated that the rest of my life would be - extended."

Hatter looked at her with that same torn expression, his eyes closer to yellow than green.

She had less than a few seconds to make her decision. She'd already hurt Hatter once, and she didn't want to do so again. But she had left her home and family so abruptly, and even though time moved differently in the two places, an extended stay in Underland would still equal a good bit of time Above. At the same time, the thought of leaving Underland _again_ was less than attractive…

"I have no plans, in the foreseeable future, to leave." There. That was the truth, but it still left an opening for her to return Above, even for just a visit, in the future to see her family again. _After_ Queen Mirana figured out what was wrong with her and Hatter…

Tarrant's eyes brightened back to green as he grinned at her, his relief evident. "That's good," he lisped. But then his grin faded, and he looked a little confused again. "So - the _only_ reason why you came back to Underland was - because you thought you were going to die? If it had not been for that, you never would have returned?" His eyes widened in alarm.

Alice should have known her other words had left it wide open for interpretation. "No!" she denied. "That's _not_ what I mean at all. That is why I returned _this soon_. I had every intention of keeping my word and returning at some point in the future. The headache just encouraged me to return sooner than planned, because I did not want to die without seeing Underland again - without seeing _you_ again." And that was the complete truth.

For a moment he studied her face and eyes, as if trying to see down to her very heart to discover if what she was saying was true. He seemed to deem it so, because he finally nodded, smiled, and turned back to his tea. "Regardless of your reasons, I'm _very_ glad you're back."

Thackery was suddenly there - in truth, Alice had been so caught up in her and Tarrant's conversation that she'd forgotten the Hare was present. "Aye, ye wee lass," he said, setting down plates in front of her and Hatter. "We're _all_ gla' tae 'ave ye back."

Impulsively, Alice leaned over and hugged Thackery, laughing when he hit her across the shoulders with his cook spoon in surprise. "I'm glad to _be_ back, Thackery," she said. "It feels truly wonderful to be in Underland again."

As the March Hare went back to his cooking, Alice and Tarrant ate their respective breakfasts in companionable silence as they watched him. It was almost surprising, how easily she'd settled into this routine. (Though could she _really_ refer to it as a routine, since this was her first official breakfast in Underland?)

After they ate, they left poor Thackery alone with his cooking. He always worked best while alone, without any potential distractions around. Hatter took her hand as they entered the hall, smiling as he led her toward his workshop. "Queen Mirana gave me permission to go back to work today," he said. "I'd like to finish up a few things for you."

Alice, who had always wanted to watch him work, followed willingly. It would be a nice distraction until teatime, anyway, when Queen Mirana would hopefully have some answers for her and Tarrant.

* * *

Brillig arrived sooner than either of them had anticipated, and it wasn't until a very nervous Nivens McTwisp came to get them that they realized they were late for tea.

Everyone else, save McTwisp, was already there by the time they arrived, and greetings and apologies were exchanged. Alice went through the pleasantries by rote, inwardly reining in the urge to immediately ask if the Queen had made any headway in her investigations.

Chess didn't seem so interested in letting Alice ask her questions, since he addressed Tarrant the moment the "hello"s and "how are you"s were finished. "I certainly hope you've been brushing up on your Futterwacken, Tarrant," he drawled.

Hatter looked up from where he'd been preparing his tea. "Why is that, Chessur?" he asked.

"Before we settled in for today's research, Queen Mirana made arrangements for a lovely ball to celebrate the return of our Champion."

Mirana hastily interrupted. "Just a little one," she said, looking to Alice. "I know how you feel about these things, Alice. This will mostly be friends and acquaintances. I promise I haven't invited anyone you have not yet met."

Alice would have been lying if she had said that she hadn't gotten a little tense at the idea of spending an evening surrounded by people she didn't know. While she had a feeling Underland balls weren't _quite_ as dry and boring as those Above, she was not fond of them, or even the idea of them. "Thank you, Highness," she said. "I look forward to it."

The White Queen's face lightened a bit at her diplomatic words. It was obvious she'd been a little concerned about Alice's reaction. "You have a little over a week to prepare," she said reassuringly. "I didn't want to schedule it too soon after your arrival. And - I'm hoping to have some answers for you by that time," she said, at last turning the subject to what Alice (and Tarrant, too, undoubtedly) was most interested in. "Chess and I still haven't come upon anything familiar in our research, but we're bound to be getting close." A brief shadow passed over her face. "And I know there is something familiar about all of this, if only I could put my finger on what it is…" The last almost seemed to have been addressed to herself.

"I have the utmost confidence in your abilities, Majesty," Alice said. "I just wish there were something more I could do to help."

Mirana held up a hand. "You and Tarrant are both here and, at the moment, healthy. That is what is most important to me and Underland." Murmurs of agreement passed around the table.

Looking down into her teacup as she felt her cheeks flush, Alice managed to make a thankful sound. She peeked out of the corner of her eye, catching Tarrant's gaze from where he was looking at her. They shared a secretive smile.

As the conversation around them turned to other, less intense, subjects, Alice addressed Hatter. "What are balls like in Underland?" she asked. She would, at least, like to know a little about what to expect.

He smiled at her, eyes brightening even more. "Great fun!" he said. "There's conversation and laughter, and dancing and lively music, and no one can ever be lonely!"

That sounded like the exact opposite of balls in London. Alice smiled. "And the dances? Are they all like the Futterwacken, or are there different styles?"

Tarrant hummed thoughtfully for a moment. "There is the Futterwacken, of course. But there are also other dances, more suited to couples. I cannot profess to being an expert, since I don't typically partake in those dances, but - I shall try to teach you, if you like?"

Dancing lessons with Tarrant? There were certainly more boring ways to spend her time in Underland, but she definitely couldn't think of more interesting ones. "I'd like that."

"We can start first thing tomorrow," Tarrant declared. "We'll take the east ballroom - it's smaller, and out of the way, so you don't have to worry about anyone seeing you." He smiled, and she felt oddly warm at the realization that he knew she didn't like to be a spectacle, even accidentally.

"I look forward to it," she said. In fact, she almost wished Time would move a little faster so she could get to tomorrow and dance lessons with Hatter a little faster.

_~To Be Continued~_

_**So some questions are answered and some more are raised... I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, and thanks for reading it! I hope to have the next one up soon!**_


	7. Preparations

Please see first chapter for disclaimer, rating, warnings, pairings, etc.

**Author's Note:** I hope all of my readers who celebrate it had a great Independence Day, and _everyone_ had a great Fourth of July! I really enjoyed writing this chapter - a few of the twists it takes surprised even me - and I hope you enjoy it! Thank you all so much for your continued support of me and my story, and thank you for reading!

**-Chapter 7-**

_Preparations_

Tarrant had quite a bit of trouble sleeping that night since he was so in anticipation of teaching Alice how to dance. Well - how to dance like an Underlandian, anyway. He knew she must have danced in Otherland, because she had spoken about balls and boring dances there.

He had every confidence that she would be a natural at Underland dancing, however.

So it was with no little amount of excitement that he met Alice in the east ballroom after breakfast. She had dressed in something a little fancier than what she had worn the day before, undoubtedly to prepare herself for dancing with all those layers of fabric and frills.

Alice faced him with a smile, her eyes sparkling, her cheeks touched pink with excitement. "I am ready to learn at the feet of the master," she said.

Almost immediately he felt his face flush. "I'm no master," he said hurriedly. Whatever or whoever had led her to such a Ridiculous Idea? "I've hardly ever danced anything but solos at balls, really. Occasionally, if prevailed upon, I have danced a couples dance, and obviously I know _how_, but-"

Her small hand rested on his arm, cutting off his nervous rambling mid-stream. "Tarrant," she said, sounding slightly amused.

"-Thank you." Clearing his throat, he offered her a smile. "Kindly allow me to start again. I shall endeavor to do my best to teach you these dances, and have little doubt that you will become a much better dancer than I. You are Alice, after all, and there is no doubt that Alice can do much better than a hatter at dancing."

"Except for the Futterwacken," Alice said.

He carefully examined her face for any hints of amusement, but it was clear she'd said those words in all serious. "Ah - perhaps," he said vaguely. "Now then. Shall we begin?"

Alice nodded, and he reached over to turn on the phonograph Thackery had thoughtfully loaned him for the cause. Turning back to his companion, Tarrant swept his Hat from his head and bowed at his waist as any good gentleman would. "May I have this dance, milady?"

He was rewarded by seeing Alice's cheeks once more color becomingly. She curtsied back and said, "It would be my honor, kind sir."

The moment her small hand slid into his large (and suddenly clumsy) grasp, he began to wonder at the wisdom of offering to teach her how to dance. His skin suddenly felt warm and tingly, and he was having trouble forming a coherent thought, let alone remembering the dance that went along with the somewhat upbeat song cheerfully playing from the corner. "I - ah." Shaking his head sharply - twice - to clear it, he turned to face Alice when they'd reached the center of the floor. He offered her his other hand, which she took without hesitation. "This is one of the more energetic dances," he said. "All dances in Underland fall under three broad categories - Joyful, Sorrowful, and Romantic. I see no point in teaching you the second, unless you have a desire to learn it." He paused long enough for her to shake her head before continuing. "This is one of the first. Ready?"

Alice nodded, her fingers tightening around his.

"All right then. Just follow my lead."

He started out slower than the music required, voicing each step before he took it. Before long he was merely mouthing the moves, and then in no time he and Alice were moving silently and flawlessly about, twirling and dipping and shimmying their way across the floor in perfect sync. Tarrant grinned proudly, happy at how easily she was picking up the moves. It was almost as if she'd been dancing Underlandian dances her entire life!

Alice laughed as she spun under his arm, her soft curls brushing his face as she did so. "This is delightful!" she commented as their hands found each others' again. "I never knew dancing could be such _fun_!"

In truth, neither did Tarrant. Oh, he enjoyed the occasional Futterwacken, but that was a dance meant to be performed by a single person, not a couple. In truth, all former experiences he'd had with couple dances had not been enjoyable at all - they were stiff and formal and not at all fun.

But dancing with Alice _was_ enjoyable. She learned so quickly and moved so flawlessly with his instructions and guiding that it was impossible for him _not_ to relax and enjoy himself.

When the current song finally ended, they took a step away from each other so he could bow and she could curtsy. Then Alice immediately clapped, her grin of pleasure so wide it looked like it might split her face. "I agree! Dances in Underland are far better than those Above. I have not had so much fun in a long while!"

After a few seconds of scratchy silence from the phonograph, another song started up. "This is a Romantic dance," Tarrant said. He felt a little awkward now, since that particular form of dance was much slower, and demanded a closeness between partners that the Joyful ones did not.

Alice spread her hands and smiled again. "Show me."

He didn't know if she had meant to whisper or not, but the tenor of that sound made a good kind of shiver run up his spine. Swallowing hard, he stepped forward into what could technically be called Alice's Personal Space, something he felt like a Horrible Person for invading - even with her permission. He decided to place her hands first, since that felt slightly less awkward than placing his own. "This hand goes here," he said, guiding her right hand to his upper arm. "And then I hold your other." With one final breath to fortify his lacking courage, he reached out and gently rested his right hand on her waist, trying not to apply more pressure than he had to. "And now…" He took the first step, nearly stumbling over her feet at the unexpectedness of his own move. Inwardly flaying himself, he tried to keep his grip on her relaxed as they went back to dancing. While it was easier to guide Alice through the steps since the music was slower and the placement of their hands were more suited to steering motions, Tarrant found the Romantic dance to be one of the most torturing experiences he'd ever had in his life. It wasn't even that it was really _unpleasant_, for it was quite the opposite. It was just _awkward_. He wasn't used to being in intimate positions with a Lady, and he _especially_ wasn't accustomed to it when Alice was involved. She tended to complicate everything, though usually in good ways…

It took Alice a little longer to catch on to the Romantic dance, and each moment stretched longer than the last. He knew Time was playing with him again, hiding somewhere and snickering as he watched his friendly foe stumble over his own feet and sweat in nervousness at his closeness to _The_ Alice. Tarrant would wring its neck next time he saw the fellow, if not for the fact that killing Time yet again would, undoubtedly, do Unmentionably Bad Things to his friendship with Alice.

And then he made his next mistake. Tarrant looked down into Alice's face, which was closer to his than it had ever been. Her eyes widened almost imperceptibly when she saw his face. He had no idea what he must look like, though he had some vague inclination that his Madness was buzzing at the back of his skull a little more than normal, dueling voices demanding he kiss her, and others cautioning him to be a Gentleman to her Lady. That it was too soon for this, because she'd just come back yesterday, after all.

Inevitably, the first voices won.

The music played on as Tarrant tilted his head down and bent a bit at the waist to press his lips to Alice's. Once there he felt so stiff he couldn't move, from fear of rejection or bliss from the feeling of _finally_ being able to kiss her, he couldn't say for sure. Perhaps it was a little bit of both.

It took him a moment to realize that the voices in his head were completely silent for once. They seemed to be waiting in a breathless hush, just like him, to see if Alice would respond to his kiss or reject his kiss, and _him_.

Alice stood unmoving in his grasp, her fingers tightening around his arm and hand. She felt almost as stiff as he, unyielding, her feet positioned just so in relation to his. Her hair was just brushing his temple, soft and silky. Her skin, which had started out cool, was rapidly growing warmer - he wished he knew if it were with fury or embarrassment or pleasure.

At last his body remembered how to move, and he pulled away from Alice. She stood staring at him with flushed cheeks, wide eyes, and slightly parted lips. Her mouth opened further as if to say something, but she seemed at a loss for words.

Tarrant wasn't. "I'm - sorry, Alice," he whispered. "I didn't mean - I mean, I did, but…" He forced himself to cut off before he started rambling too badly and made everything worse. Without another word, he turned on his heel and stalked toward the door, pausing only long enough to snatch up the phonograph on his way.

At the doorway, Alice's strangled voice stopped him. "Hatter, I…" She couldn't seem to finish the thought.

"I'm sorry, Alice." Maintaining his white-knuckle grip on the phonograph, he left the ballroom as another slow, Romantic song started. It took great control to prevent himself from throwing the thing against the wall to shut it up. All he wanted to do was escape.

Things would surely never be the same again.

* * *

Despite his mortification about what happened in the east ballroom, Tarrant was halfway hoping that Alice would come to his workshop at some point. The gentle throbbing in his head made it clear, however, that she was keeping her distance - and a good bit of it - from him.

It was just as well, he thought ruefully, that this had happened. A stack of orders had magically appeared (or so it seemed) while he'd been dancing with Alice. Apparently news of his returning to work had spread, and everyone was clamoring to have a new hat.

For a while he was able to distract himself with work. Whenever he was making something, he devoted his complete attention on it. He refused to do anything but his best, and if a final project turned out anything less than best, he would throw it in the scrap heap and start all over again. That day, more items than usual were winding up in the trash.

His frustration built more and more with each failure, complicating matters further. Eventually he had to give up, which _really_ set off the voices in his head. Grinding his teeth, he headed off to the depths of the castle, desperate to find _something_ to do that would get his mind off his ever-increasing number of problems.

Eventually he found himself in the Library, which was deeply shadowed by the slant of the late afternoon sun. "Your Highness?" he whispered. He was rarely in the Library, since he had a collection of his own books, but when he did, he always felt the need to speak very softly.

"Over here, Hatter."

Tarrant made his way through the many shelves until he found Mirana seated in a chair, a book propped up on her knees, her head on one of her hands. She looked tired, dark shadows staining the skin beneath her eyes, her hair a little rumpled from where she'd either been running her fingers through it in frustration or unconsciously playing with it as she read. "My lady." He bowed formally.

The White Queen looked up with an abstracted smile, returning almost immediately to her book. "How did dancing lessons with Alice go?" she asked. Her tone made it obvious she was being polite, since her concentration was obviously focused on the book in her lap.

"Alice learned the dances very quickly," he said. It was the truth - just not all of it. He was glad Mirana wasn't entirely paying attention to him, otherwise she probably would have caught his hesitance. "How is your research going, Milady?"

Mirana very carefully closed her book, and Tarrant got the odd impression that she was doing it so gently to keep herself from slamming it. "Not well," she admitted. "I _know_ I'm missing something, however. Despite the fact that Chess and I can't seem to find anything in the Library to indicate what this might be, meaning something like this has never happened before, I _know_ somewhere deep inside me that this is familiar. If only I could isolate that Thought and pull it forward, I know I could find the answer for this."

Tarrant shifted nervously. "Is there anything I can do?"

"Unless this recalls something in _your_ memory, I'm afraid not." Setting aside the book, Mirana stood and discreetly stretched. "For now, it's almost time to eat. I didn't realize until just now, but I worked straight through Brillig."

In truth, he'd completely forgotten about tea, as well. He wasn't really in the mood, either, but Thackery would undoubtedly be in a tizzy since at least two people hadn't shown up. "I'm afraid not," he said softly.

The Queen shrugged. "I'm thinking about making myself a Remembering Potion. But I don't have all the ingredients, and without a more firm idea of what I'm searching for, it won't really do me that much good." Her darkly stained lips turned downwards a bit in dissatisfaction. "If _only_ I could remember what part of this sounds so familiar…"

As they exited the Library, Tarrant dared reach out to brush Mirana's shoulder. "It will all work out in the end," he said reassuringly.

Mirana smiled, her head going up a little. "Of course," she said. "I will not give up until I have the answer."

A soft sound from behind him made Tarrant turn just in time to see a flash of blue fabric disappear around the corner. _Alice_. She had left without saying a word, and he knew it was because he was with Mirana.

His stomach twisted. Why was everything getting so complicated and more puzzles kept piling up when they were trying to simplify things and solve their problems?

_~To Be Continued~_

_**Well, that had a few surprising turns in it - but hopefully all you angst-lovers out there liked it. Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed!**_


	8. Discomforted

Please see first chapter for disclaimer, rating, warnings, pairing, etc.

**Author's Note:** I am _so_ sorry for the extended wait for this chapter! I had a technology-hates-my-guts moment and accidentally deleted half the chapter and was unable to retrieve it, so I had to re-write it. It's not like it was before, but it is extra-long and I like pieces of this version better than I did the other. Once more, I'm _so _sorry about the wait, but thank you again for your patience and all your support for this story!

**-Chapter 8-**

_Discomforted_

There were no words for the depth of Alice's confusion. The kiss she'd just shared with Tarrant was still forefront in her mind, consuming every other thought in her head with fiery single-mindedness. Once she was able to focus on something else, she wondered if he'd really meant it - especially considering he had been so anxious to get away directly after - or if he'd gotten caught up in the moment and kissed her for that reason only.

Alice knew if she agonized over it too much she would go crazy. But it had been obvious after the fact that Tarrant had regretted kissing her, for what other reason would he have for making every effort to run away as fast as he could? She needed to find something else with which to occupy her mind, but what?

The palace was spacious and beautiful, but Alice suddenly felt claustrophobic within its walls. So her urge for fresh air took her outside, where she decided to investigate Marmoreal's gardens. She had been in them the last time she'd visited Underland, but she had been so preoccupied by one thing or another that she hadn't been able to enjoy them.

The spicy smell of flowers hung in the air, mixed with the scent of strawberries and vanilla that was uniquely Marmoreal. Alice slipped off her shoes and left them at the entrance to the gardens as she went in, enjoying the feel of dirt and grass between her toes. It was amazing how quickly the constraints of Above had abandoned her in Underland; the feeling of freedom and the lack of critical eyes watching her at every turn was quite refreshing.

"Enjoying your stay, luv?"

Alice looked up into the branches of the tree to her right, easily picking out Chess's fur, bright eyes, and wide grin among the cherry blossoms. "Hello, Chess. Yes, I find I am enjoying this stay a bit better than the last."

Chessur stretched lazily before floating down from his perch to hover alongside her as she continued on her way. "Excellent. The Queen sent me away - I think she's tired of my help." He rolled his big eyes as if in disbelief that _anyone_ could get tired of him.

Smothering her grin of amusement, Alice tucked her hands behind her back and swung her upper body freely like she had as a child, her wild blonde curls flying free in the perfect breeze. "Well, I'm glad you came out here and found me. I could use some company right about now."

Chess swung forward and around so he was floating backwards in front of her as she continued her garden stroll. "That doesn't sound good at all," he purred. "What has spoiled your day in paradise, poppet?"

"Nothing important," she lied evasively. She adored Chessur, but she didn't want him to know about what had happened in the ballroom. That was something she wanted to keep to herself, at least until she could figure out what was going on and how she felt about it.

"Ahh. Something to do with our dear Hatter, I presume?" His eyes gleamed with the intentness he always got when he thought he was on to some piece of juicy gossip.

"We are _both_ concerned about our situation," Alice said firmly. "Even if we get too far away from each other within Marmoreal's grounds our heads start hurting."

"And does your head hurt _now_?" the Cat asked shrewdly.

"I think the more important situation at hand is whether or not the Queen is closer to an answer about what is happening. While the idea of staying in Underland and, more specifically, Marmoreal, is not horrible by any means _in theory_, I would like to do some exploring in other parts of this vast land. Which I _cannot _do, obviously, until we know for sure what is causing the headaches, and what we can do to fix them."

Chessur crossed his paws and rested his head on them. "You humans are unbelievably stupid sometimes," he sighed.

Alice narrowed her eyes at him. "That sounds like something Absolem would say. What are you keeping from us, Chess?"

Another grin stretched his lips, that devious sparkle back in his eyes. "At least you ask nicer than Tarrant. He'd call me names and shout at me to go away." He chuckled. "It's all about the Game, luv."

"What game?" She had little doubt that the Cat was playing one with her at that moment.

For a brief moment he looked like he was actually considering telling her. But then he smiled again and began to evaporate into mist. "The Game of Love, of course. Fairfarren, poppet." And then he vanished completely.

Alice was tempted to scream after him, but wasn't sure if he was still in the area. As usual, she felt like she'd had more questions raised than answers - a typical response after an encounter with that infuriating feline. But she loved him to pieces, really, and couldn't imagine Underland without him. He had been one of her first friends here, after all.

Deciding to put her encounter with Chessur out of her mind, she continued on her stroll through the gardens. Tucking her hands behind her back like she had when she was a child, she fairly skipped along, occasionally throwing in a spin just because. She could hardly believe how _happy_ and _free_ she felt since she'd come to Underland. Granted, there was still the threat of the headaches looming above her, as the deceptively soft throbbing in her head reminded, but she didn't feel like she had to live up to anyone's expectations. She didn't feel pressured to be perfect, to do _everything_ right so she'd be accepted into a man's world.

But there was the ball, of course. That was one of the few things that _was_ weighing heavily on her mind. She disliked the idea of having to spend an evening playing Queen's Champion, even among friends. It felt a little too much like the constraints of Above. Couldn't they just throw a delightful Tea Party and call it good?

That brought her thoughts back around to her and Tarrant's Encounter in the ballroom. He'd kissed her and then run off as if she'd frightened him, even though _he_ had been the one to initiate it. Had she done something, completely by accident, that was considered offensive in Underland? She hadn't _meant_ to.

It was all so confusing. What had happened to their close friendship from her past two visits that had allowed them to do or discuss anything with no discomfort or worry?

_You've grown up._ The whisper in her head sounded eerily like her mother. Alice had to admit that she had seen Tarrant in a different light this time, that her thoughts over her six month absence had led her down a more _caring_ (she refused to use the word _romantic_) road than she had taken before. Even though she'd been gone such a short time, she'd changed so much. She couldn't really say if Tarrant had or not. He didn't really _seem_ that different, but how could she honestly tell if he was or not? It wasn't like she'd been around him long enough to really say for sure one way or the other. She could ask Thackery, but she couldn't be assured of a straight answer. Mally was her only other option, and not only did she not know where the Dormouse was, but she wasn't so sure about the reception she'd get if she tried.

If she kept on with that line of thought, she was going to drive herself Mad.

Perhaps if she went to talk to Mirana. It was almost time to eat, and if she was still in the Library, she might not realize it. And while she appreciated the White Queen's willingness to work at every possible moment to find out what was going on with her and Hatter's headaches, she didn't want her working herself to death over it.

The hallways of the palace felt a little cool after the warmth of the sun outside. Shivering, Alice wrapped her arms around herself as she worked her way toward the Library. Tarrant had shown her where it was the day before, and she had very carefully memorized everything he'd shown her, so it didn't take her long to make her way there.

As she rounded the corner, she realized that Tarrant must have beat her to the idea. He and Mirana were standing in front of the doors to the Library, rather close together, and his hand was on the queen's shoulder.

Immediately Alice turned around and took off. She hoped to goodness neither of them had noticed her, because she didn't know what to do or say if they had. What _could_ she say? There was nothing, absolutely nothing.

Once she was out of earshot, Alice started running. She realized she'd forgotten her shoes, but didn't feel like going back outside to get them. She went straight to her quarters and closed the door behind her, bracing her back against it and sliding down until she was sitting down. Pulling her knees up to her chest, she wrapped her arms around them and tried to stop herself from shaking.

She tried to tell herself that it didn't matter if he liked the Queen, and the Queen liked him. This was _their_ world, _their_ home, after all. She was a visitor - now more like an _invader_ - there. And no matter what she thought she had or hadn't seen on Tarrant's face at the tea table, on the walk to Marmoreal, and in his workshop, it was obvious now more than ever that he'd just been caught up in the moment in the ballroom. His heart belonged elsewhere, and she had to accept that. They had always been just friends, after all, so it shouldn't be that hard.

…And yet, it was.

Eventually Alice firmly told herself to stop being stupid. She picked herself up off the floor and went to change for dinner, taking extra care to make sure she looked good before she left her room. Even if she was still bothered inside, she didn't plan on making her inner turmoil obvious to anyone else.

As she left her quarters, she failed to notice the most recent addition to her carpet: her and Tarrant in the ballroom, locked in their embrace, the Hatter's face bright with adoration.

* * *

Alice was the first to arrive in the dining hall. She hovered uncertainly by the table, wondering whether to go ahead and sit down or go somewhere else to wait for everyone else to show up, when Thackery came in, carrying a covered dish half his size. When he saw her, he almost dropped it. "Yer early!" he gasped.

Laughing softly, she took the dish and set it on the table. "I know, it's quite the surprise, isn't it?"

Thackery tugged on his ears, looking embarrassed at his outburst. "Ah've almos' go' th' table se'. Wanna help wi' th' res'?"

Relieved to have something to do, she nodded and followed him back to the kitchen. She was once more surprised at the sterile whiteness of it, though she supposed she shouldn't have been. But with Thackery's penchant for lobbing random things at random times, she expected it all to get a bit messy.

It took three more trips between them to get the rest of the dishes to the dining hall. Once more Alice was amazed at the spread awaiting the dinner guests - Thackery always seemed to be able to outdo himself with the number and caliber of his dishes.

Mirana was there as Alice and the Hare came in with the final dishes. She motioned them both to seats and focused on Alice after a brief greeting and word of thanks to Thackery. "I'm afraid I'm still not getting much of anywhere in my research," she said apologetically. "But I've been thinking about making a Remembering potion for myself, to see if I can track down what seems familiar about all of this. It seems like I've heard a story or a legend about this, but I can't pin it down." She shook her head ruefully. "I just hope the Remembering potion works. It doesn't always."

"I have the utmost confidence." Alice smiled, forcing herself to believe her words. "But are you sure there's nothing I can do to help, Your Highness? It's not that I'm _not_ enjoying exploring Marmoreal, but I feel like I'm just taking up space and not being useful."

Leaning forward, Mirana grasped Alice's hand and met her gaze with all seriousness. "Alice, you slew the Jabberwocky and returned peace to Underland. That is a task that not just _anyone_ can take on, let alone succeed at." Leaning back, she threaded her fingers together in front of her and looked down almost sheepishly. "To be entirely honest, I was hoping that when you finally returned to Underland, your stay - however long or short it would be - was going to be peaceful and more of a vacation than a duty like it was the last time. I did not want to presume to offer you a position in the castle and in my court that you did not want, but would accept out of some perceived duty." Her pale cheeks were brushed with the slightest shade of rose, as if she were embarrassed by her words.

Alice opened her mouth to reply, but was immediately interrupted by the entrance of the Tweedles. In their usual boisterous, energetic manner, they burst into the room and paused only long enough to bow to the Queen before talking over each other to ask how Alice's day had been and if she were enjoying her stay in Underland.

This time she knew the ache in her head had nothing at all to do with what had been going on with her and Tarrant. For one thing, the Tweedles could get quite loud in their attempt to outdo each other for attention, and for another, Tarrant had just walked through the door, his gaze going straight to her before nervously skittering away.

All through the meal Alice longed to say something, _anything_, to Tarrant. But he seemed to be avoiding her, conversing with the Queen, with Mally, with Thackery, with _everyone_ but her. Biting back her disappointment, which was more savage than she would have expected, she quietly plotted on how to corner him after dinner.

She was sure that the meal was good - Thackery's cooking skills were absolutely unparalleled - but she couldn't taste any of it. Her uncertainty kept churning inside her, making her feel a little ill. She kept wondering whether confronting Tarrant was a good idea, but she couldn't see any other way around it. If they were going to have to stay close to each other for health reasons, she didn't want their time together to be awkward.

To her immense relief, her opportunity came as everyone was going their separate ways from the dining hall. She was able to catch up to Tarrant in the hall outside their rooms, and a soft hail stopped him in his tracks.

He slowly turned to face her, his eyes glowing yellow with uncertainty. He shifted on his feet, fingers nervously twisting together before him. "Aye, Alice?"

Now that she was actually confronting him, she realized she wasn't at all sure what to say. "I…" She stopped, swallowed hard, and then licked her lips to work some more moisture into her suddenly dry mouth. "I-I know that we need to stay close together until the Queen figures out why our heads hurt when we get too far apart. And - after what happened in the ballroom this afternoon, I didn't want our forced time together to be - well - awkward. Like it is now." She gazed steadily at him, hands fisted into the skirt of yet another of the dresses he'd made for her.

Tarrant gazed at her for another long moment, brows drawn together in an emotion she couldn't quite identify. At long last his right hand lifted, almost as if he were going to touch her face, but then he snatched it back and clenched his hands together so tightly the patches of his skin not discolored by his trade turned bone pale. "Alice - I-I never meant for things to be like this. I was so excited when you came back to Underland - I had been so in hopes you would, and it had been _so_ long since I'd last seen you. A-And I know we're from two completely different worlds, and things are different where you come from, and certain rituals are different, and I stole a Kiss from you without permission, a truly _slurvish_ thing to do if ever there was one, and of all people to steal a Kiss from, _the_ Champion Alice _had_ to be the one I did, and I'm just a _slurvish_ lowly _gallymoggers_ hatter with no honor or-"

Alice finally recovered her voice, which had been shocked out of her by Tarrant's line of reasoning. "Tarrant!" Stepping forward, she grasped his clenched hands in both of hers, resisting the urge to shake him for being so self-deprecating and mad and so infuriatingly gentlemanly and just _wonderful_. "It's all right! You didn't steal a Kiss from me. You can't possibly steal something that was willingly given."

He blinked. "But you looked - and then after I - and then it was-" He stopped, looking so confused it nearly broke her heart.

"Tarrant, I was surprised, that's all. I honestly hadn't expected you to kiss me. All this time, I had thought - hadn't dared to let myself hope otherwise - that what we shared was a close friendship. And then you kissed me, and I was so startled to find out that maybe, _just maybe_, you felt the same way about me that I did about you…" She shook her head in wonderment. "Later, I went to the Library to talk to Mirana, and I saw you there with the Queen, and I admit that…" She felt her cheeks flush red at the memory.

One of the Hatter's hands pulled free from her grasp. Only a second later she felt two fingers - one warm and rough, the other cool and metallic from the cap of a thimble - hook beneath her chin and lift her head so she was looking up at him again. His eyes were glowing soft green, and his smile was crooked and heartfelt. "Ye though' Ah ha' feelin's for 'er?"

Alice nodded, eyes downcast.

"She is mah Queen. Ah made a vow long ago tha' Ah woul' always be loyal tae 'er, ev'n in th' face o' death, an' ov'r th' years, sh' became mah frien', too. Bu' Ah'm jus' a Hatta, nae royalty. There coul' nev'r be anythin' between us." He smiled nervously. "An' Ah know ye are _the_ Alice, Champion, an' tha' brings us back to me bein' jus' a Hatta, quite below th' station of a Champion, an' Ah completely understan' if ye don' wan' tae have anythin' tae do with me because of tha'…"

Lurching forward, she threw her arms around Tarrant's shoulders and clung to put paid to that. "Tarrant, you are and always have been my best friend in two worlds. I would _never_ abandon you for anyone or anything." Her breath squeaked out of her when Tarrant's arms squeezed around her middle with more strength than his lean form would suggest.

"An' you'll always be mah bes' frien', Alice. No matter wha'."

It wasn't until Alice was in her room and halfway undressed for bed that she realized that she and Tarrant hadn't actually confirmed one way or another if they had romantic feelings for each other. But at that moment things were no longer awkward, almost back to normal, for them. And right then, that was good enough for her.

_~To Be Continued~_

_**Sorry again for the long wait, but I really hope it was worth it! Thanks again for your support, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter!**_


	9. Progress

Please see first chapter for disclaimer, rating, warnings, pairings, etc.

**Author's Note:** This is it! It is aspects of this chapter that inspired this story. Over the course of this part, I'll delve quite deeply into my vision of what Underland's pasts and part of what her Magic is like. Anyway, I'm _really_ excited about this chapter and hope you all enjoy it! Thanks for all your all your reviews and support, and thanks for checking out this chapter!

**-Chapter 9-**

_Progress_

Over the years, Mirana had learned to make many potions. She had invented even more, ones only she knew how to make. She planned to pass her knowledge down to someone, eventually. But for the moment, she had decided to keep the recipes to the potentially dangerous potions to herself. At least until she could find someone trustworthy enough and interested enough to whom she could pass on the recipes.

It was a Remembering potion she was hard at work on that day. She'd sent Chess out earlier to gather the remaining ingredients she needed since he could cover more distance faster than she or anyone else. When he'd returned, she'd gotten straight to work.

If at all possible, she preferred her research to answer her questions. But, when that failed (which, obviously, it _had_), she had to turn to her potions. She doubted it would provide her with the full answer, but hopefully it would help lead her back to where she had first heard or read what seemed so familiar about Alice and Tarrant's story.

Finally Mirana decided the potion was as good as it was going to get. She made a slight face at the smell (despite how excellently the potions worked, most of them emitted a rancid odor and even fouler taste) and held her breath as she dipped her spoon into the concoction bubbling away before her and then took a cautious sip.

As most did, the Remembering potion went to work immediately. Mirana's mind was drawn back in time, to when she was a young girl. Back when her parents were still alive and Racie was still halfway easy to get along with, though signs were beginning to pop up about her _attitude problem_, as her father had referred (albeit fondly) to it.

_She stood in the Library, which was a good bit smaller than it would be in the future. She loved escaping her Lessons and going there to read, or just run her fingers along the spines of the books. Sometimes she would spend hours just pacing among the shelves, examining the titles until one finally caught her eye._

_On this day she was particularly frustrated. Her Coronation Day was almost upon her, and she didn't feel ready. So she had escaped to her friendly books and their whispered promises of Adventure, something she had no doubt she'd never be able to experience._

_She was wondering whether to go for an Adventure or a Romance when something new caught her eye. It was two or three shelves above her reach, so she had to fetch a ladder before she could reach the shelf and the book that had captured her attention. Hitching up her skirts slightly so she wouldn't trip, she ascended the first three steps and pulled the leather-bound tome off the shelf. Then, leaving the ladder where it was so she could put the book back later, she headed for the nearest chair._

_Sitting down, she ran her fingers over the bold golden letters embossed on the cover. For a moment she was almost afraid to look upon the hidden pages, but shook the feeling off. It was just a _book_, after all._

Mirana sighed in frustration as the Remembering potion wore off before the rest of the memory played out. But she had the most important piece of the puzzle: the title of the book. It probably wasn't in the same place as it was before, since the Library had been rearranged several times over the years. But she knew the general area in which to search - History.

Several people stopped her between the kitchen and the Library. None of the problems were particularly urgent, but she honestly cared about the people she ruled so she listened to everything they had to say. She had hoped one of the people who had stopped her would be Alice or Tarrant, but she saw neither of them. Oh well, she would see them either at tea or the evening meal, and hopefully by then she would have something definitive to tell them.

Entering the Library, Mirana headed straight for the Historical section. It was the largest, and since she didn't remember from which time period she'd pulled the book the first time, she had to search carefully as she went for the correct title. Occasionally she'd see a word from the title and her heart would leap, until she read the rest of it and realized it was not the correct book.

For two hours she kept searching, clinging to her Memory as she looked. She hoped Chess would come to help, but he never showed. It really was no surprise, since she had dismissed him after he had gathered the missing ingredients for the Remembering potion.

_There!_

Mirana was still too short to reach the shelf on which the book she desired rested, even after all these years, so she was forced to go retrieve a ladder. When she returned, she wasted no time in snatching up the book and scurrying back down the ladder. Heeding neither decorum nor propriety, she dropped down right where she was and cradled the book on her lap.

Once more that tingling chill she'd felt the first time she'd touched that book shivered through her. _The Chronicles of Alice_. Even the title was enough to require a certain reverent silent and respect as she carefully opened the cover to reveal the pages beneath.

Each was yellow with age, and the print was fading horribly. But the book was in remarkable shape otherwise, suggesting that it had not been read often. Wondering why not, considering it was a tome dedicated to Alice (maybe not _the_ Alice, but at least_ an_ Alice), she eagerly allowed her gaze to sweep across the lines of neat, handwritten script.

It didn't take long for her to realize the book was not about _the_ Alice. Mirana had known other Alices had visit Underland before for one reason or another, since Underland tended to lean toward girls with that name when something dire put the land in danger. The illustrations, also hand drawn, showed a woman of remarkable resemblance to the most famous Alice, however. But there were subtle differences in the lines of her face and the shape of her eyes and nose that clearly differentiated the two women.

Mirana tried to skim the pages, but kept getting drawn in by the story. This Alice had also fallen down the rabbit hole, arriving in Underland just out of her teens with the same confusion and lack of muchness that _the_ Alice had had. The friends she had made then were quite different, and not too far into the story Mirana began to realize why she had attempted to wipe the story from her memory. More and more of the story was coming back to her as she read, and as she reached the final words, she realized her horrible feelings about the ending were right.

_Oh no!_

* * *

Alice sat quietly on a stool in the corner of Tarrant's workshop and watched him work. Now that things were back to semi-normal for them, they felt more comfortable being around each other. She was amazed every time she saw a new headpiece being assembled by Hatter's quick, skilled fingers. Each one was lavish and perfect, and he often let her try them on and model them.

He'd been working for several hours when McTwisp arrived. He was shuddering nervously, for once without his pocket watch as he said, "The Queen wishes to see you both immediately. She said it's urgent."

Exchanging a quick glance with Tarrant, Alice saw the same thought in his eyes that immediately occurred to her. _She's found something. _They hastened to follow the White Rabbit, each anxiously wondering what it was the White Queen had uncovered. From McTwisp's reaction, it didn't seem to be good. Then again, he was a naturally excitable sort of fellow, so they couldn't necessarily go by him.

Mirana was in her Quiet Room, a small space just off the Throne Room where she went to have some time to herself, or hold important meetings with foreign dignitaries. She motioned immediately for Alice and Tarrant to sit upon their entrance, then nodded for McTwisp to close the door behind him.

Alice noticed a small, worn-looking leather-bound volume in the queen's hands. Her folded hands covered the title, but even looking at the tome made a little shiver go up her spine.

The White Queen waited until they all had tea before she got started. "I made a Remembering potion this morning," she said. "I focused on the aspects of your story that sounded familiar, and that helped me to recover the memory of what I had read as a young woman." She shifted her hands, holding up the book so they could both see the title.

_The Chronicles of Alice_.

Alice's first thought was that the book was about _her_, but from the looks of the leather, the book was very old. She knew those in Underland had the Oraculum, but she was pretty sure the earlier inhabitants of this wonderful land wouldn't have had access to events so far into their future. There was only one other conclusion she could reach.

"Another Alice," Tarrant breathed. Obviously he'd had the same thought.

Mirana nodded. "She was much like ours." A quick motion with her hand gracefully acknowledged Alice's presence in the room, softening any insinuation that the Queen was trying to ignore her presence. "She fell down the rabbit hole at a time just out of her teens. Confusion was her predominate emotion - she also believed Underland was a dream for a long while. She made several friends here, though their time with that Alice was - regrettably short."

A tight knot of apprehension welled into Alice's throat. There was only one interpretation of those words that she could see.

"But like you, Alice, the Other Alice had her responsibilities, as well. The Oraculum had foretold her coming, and she…" Here Mirana trailed off, her gaze falling back to the book. She opened it to one page and turned it around so Alice and Tarrant could see the illustration.

The obviously hand-drawn image bore a remarkable resemblance to the style of the Oraculum. It, too, was moving, the likenesses moving in slow-motion before looping back and repeating itself. But what was most striking about the picture was the fact that it was almost a carbon copy of the one that had foretold Alice's return to Underland - a woman in armor, wielding a sword, the Jabberwocky screaming down at her with claws and teeth flashing. The only difference was the ending, which was so chilling Alice had to look away.

A soft growl from beside her drew her attention to Tarrant. He was staring at the image, visibly shuddering, his eyes flaming bright red. His hand contracted around his teacup so tightly it shattered, spilling hot tea everywhere. He didn't seem to be able to feel the burns or the shards of the china that had become embedded in his hand.

"Tarrant!"

"Hatter!"

Alice's and Mirana's cries were simultaneous. The former was the first to reach him, and she cupped his face in her hands, forcing his eyes to focus on her. "Tarrant, it's all right," she whispered. "I'm here."

His great heaving gasps, whether done in fear or anger, she couldn't tell, eased away. The fire slowly cooled from his eyes, though their color remained a strange greyish-green. "Alice?" His lisp was even more pronounced than normal. "Ye all righ'?" Tarrant's uninjured hand lifted to touch her face.

"I'm fine," she whispered, though it wasn't entirely the truth. She was still shaken from what she'd seen in _The Chronicles of Alice_. "But you're not."

Tarrant looked down, seeming surprised to see the blood on his hand. "Sorry," he whispered.

It took Alice only a few minutes to attend to Tarrant's hand. Mirana had offered to call for one of the nurses to do it, but Alice had firmly insisted that she'd rather do it herself unless it was too serious. Once the pieces of china were out and she was able to get a good look, she saw that the cuts on his hand were rather shallow and not in need of stitches. Once she'd gotten his hand wrapped up and Tarrant had poured himself some more tea, they both refocused on Mirana.

She had set the book aside and seemed disinclined to reach for it again. "As you could both tell from the image in _The Chronicles of Alice_, it did - not end well for the Other Alice. But, despite what you might think, that isn't the end of the story." Mirana's hand was visibly shaking as she reached for her teacup. After a few sips, she seemed a little more composed. "During her time in Underland, Other Alice had found - _companionship_ of a certain sort with the most popular hatter of the time, one by the name of Alastair. They grew quite close over her stay, and it was one of Alastair's kinsmen who crafted the Vorpal sword for Alice to use to slay the Jabberwocky."

Alice felt her eyes go wide. She had known that the Vorpal sword had been crafted a long time before she'd come to Underland even the first time, and that it had been used futilely on several occasions to try to defeat the Jabberwocky. She still didn't understand the mechanics of it, seeing how the Vorpal and the Jabberwocky had been enemies for so long, but she had realized that the sword had had many bearers before her. Now she began to see that the sword had been created for an Alice, for the sole purpose of defeating the Jabberwocky, though many not-Alices had tried to wield it with disastrous results.

Tarrant seemed confused. "What does all this have to do with Alice's and my predicament?" he asked.

Mirana smiled kindly. "I'm getting to that part, Hatter." Her dark eyes flitted briefly back to the book before returning to them. "Anyway, Alice and Alastair grew close - _very_ close - over her time, short though it was, in Underland. Over the years, a lot of knowledge about the Ancient Magic of Underland has been lost. Some of it was not written down, some secrets were never passed from generation to generation, and some had no descendents to whom to pass down their knowledge, and their secrets died with them." Her hand was still slightly trembling as she reached out to touch _Chronicle_'s cover. "My mother once told me of a legend of a certain Bond formed between two people whom Time and Fate, the two most powerful creatures in Underland, had come together to gift."

A suspicious look crossed Tarrant's face, but he didn't speak. Alice wondered what he was thinking.

"The two of them decided to gift Alice and Alastair, not knowing what was going to happen to Other Alice. It had been foretold since the Jabberwocky's rising that an Alice was going to end its reign of destruction, but no one had any way of knowing when that would happen, or even _which_ Alice would bring those events to pass," Mirana continued.

Alice felt another twisting sensation in her stomach. She was glad she hadn't known about the Other Alice when she'd come to Underland to slay the Jabberwocky. She would have been even more terrified of going up against that beast than she already had been. "What happened?" she whispered.

Mirana's gaze drifted between Alice and Tarrant. "Once Bonded, a couple cannot be freed of their gift by any means whatsoever, because it is said that Fate can See when two people are destined for each other, even across worlds. After Other Alice was slain by the Jabberwocky, Alastair sank into such a deep depression he quite literally went mad. Everyone thought he was just missing Other Alice, that it would eventually pass once he'd had time to mourn and come to terms with her passing. But when Time continued and Alistair only got worse…" She shook her head. "Since the Bond cannot be broken, even by death…" She halted her narrative again, her gaze dropping to her clasped hands. "Alastair suffered greatly in the short time he lived after Other Alice's death. Besides the madness, he had what he described in his few lucid moments as skull-splitting headaches. Since one Bonded person cannot live without the other, at least not for long, Alastair eventually died."

It finally clicked in Alice's mind. She and Tarrant turned toward each other at the same moment, mirroring looks of shocked understanding in their gazes. Now it all made sense - the headaches, the madness Tarrant had openly suffered from and Alice had felt simmering inside her, the fact that all those symptoms had vanished instantaneously when they had once more been in each other's presence once again.

"Apparently the same thing happens when a Bonded couple is separated by a great distance," Mirana continued softly. "If you had stayed away much longer, Alice, there is a great chance both of you would have died."

_~To Be Continued~_

_**I have been**_** so**_** anxious to get to this chapter! It was actually the scene of Other Alice fighting and being defeated by the Jabberwocky, and Alastair's descent into madness and eventual death, that inspired this story. Plus, I've always felt that there must have been other Alices that wielded the Vorpal sword - I can't say what it is exactly in the film that led me to that conclusion, but I just got that **_**feeling**_**. And I wanted to play around with the idea a bit and see where it led me. Obviously you can tell where I ended up… Anyway, thank you so much for reading this chapter, and I hope you enjoyed it!**_


	10. Backgrounds

Please see first chapter for disclaimer, rating, warnings, pairings, etc.

**Author's Note:** Again I find myself apologizing for a long delay. This chapter was _incredibly_ difficult to write - I had to keep distancing myself from it every few paragraphs, especially once I reached Tarrant's parts. I tend to tie myself emotionally to whatever is going on with the character I'm writing, so I got drained so quickly writing this chapter that it took me a good while to get through it. Once more, I apologize for the long wait, and hope you enjoy this chapter! Thanks again for all the lovely reviews and alerts!

**-Chapter 10-**

_Backgrounds_

Alice had decided to borrow _The Chronicles of Alice_ from Mirana. The White Queen had seemed reluctant to give it, at first, but finally conceded that the Champion deserved to know the truth of what had happened in the past, no matter how horrible it was.

She followed Tarrant back to his workshop. He returned to his hat-making with no small bit of distraction - it was obvious Things were weighing as heavily on his mind as they were on hers.

Settling into the chair in the corner he'd had brought in just for her, Alice lifted the cover of the book to delve into the secrets beneath.

The story started out quite similar to her own, actually. Other Alice had tumbled down the rabbit hole from her world, found the Room of Doors, and become not-proper-Alice size by drinking the pishalver. Even once she was out of the Room, her story mirrored Alice's in most respects. She'd met several animals, and a Hatter, though she thought the whole thing just an elaborate dream of her own restless, wandering mind's making.

Alice was even interested in the story - until things started going horribly wrong. Other Alice's friends and acquaintances began to die, brought down by either the Jabberwocky or other Evil Creatures in league with him. The monster had learned there was an Alice in Underland, and he'd stopped at nothing to try to get rid of the threat she posed.

Hatter Alistair's brother constructed a sword, a weapon filled with Magic and a consciousness of its own. It was almost as bloodthirsty as the Jabberwocky, but the difference was that the blood it longed to taste was that of the creature, and not any human or other animal. The semantics of it were still a mystery - it seemed the brother was reluctant to tell how he'd forged the sword and made it so it could only be used on the Jabberwocky, and the secret died with him.

But the Vorpal sword lived on, in the possession of Other Alice. Once Alistair had helped her realize she wasn't dreaming, she became focused on slaying the Jabberwocky and freeing Underland and those of her new friends that were left. But, as Alice already knew, things were not meant to go that way - at least not yet. It would be many, many years later when she arrived to fulfill the same purpose.

As the words and images grew ever-darker in cast, Alice had to force herself _not_ to look away. At last she reached the image that had so badly disturbed Tarrant earlier: The Jabberwocky with his head lifted in triumph; the broken, lifeless body of Other Alice grasped desperately in Alistair's arms; a river of black beneath them that was surely meant to represent Other Alice's spilled blood.

Alice's stomach twisted and churned, and she realized she couldn't finish the book. Even the little bit she managed to get through of Alistair's deadly grief was too painful. It was too much like her own Hatter going Mad with anguish and then perishing.

Slapping the cover of the book closed (yet still unable to banish those awful images), Alice set aside the book and glanced up toward the worktable. Tarrant was holding up a new hat thoughtfully, turning it this way and that, a frown of dissatisfaction on his face. With a snort of derision, he gave it a toss and immediately turned to work on another.

Launching herself out of her chair quickly, Alice just managed to stretch and catch the discarded hat before it hit the floor. Holding it carefully, she examined it from brim to tip-top, trying to see what was so awful about it. She was no hatter, of course, but _she_ couldn't see anything wrong with it.

"Tarrant?" she asked, daring to come closer to the worktable.

"Aye, love?" he said distractedly. His fingers were flying across the table expertly, organizing colors and stitches and ribbons and other bits and bobs.

"What's wrong with this hat?" she asked, lifting it.

Glancing up, he blinked owlishly at the headpiece for a moment before turning back to his current project. "The colors are all wrong," he said curtly. "The ribbon was supposed to be yellow, the flowers green, and the peacock feather was really supposed to be a daisy. I don't know what's the matter with me today, but it seems like I'm unable to do anything right." Lifting the hand holding the scissors, he impaled the stack of orders sitting to the side with the sharp blades before gazing at her forlornly. "I just can't concentrate. I keep messing things up, and the orders just keep rolling in."

Alice glanced back down at the hat. She rather liked the blue ribbon, white flowers, and peacock feather. "I think it's a beautiful hat," she said loyally. To prove her point, she settled it atop her blonde head and smiled.

Tarrant's gaze softened. "Perhaps there was some point to making it, after all," he said good-naturedly. "It was meant to be an Alice-hat."

She peeked up at the brim. "You mean I can have it?" She had just been trying to get him to see that just because the colors were mixed up, it wasn't a _bad_ hat.

"Of course! I don't see any other Alices around, do you?" Almost immediately the smile slid off his face, and his eyes sparked yellow. "Other Alice…" His expression crumpled into misery, and his battered hands lifted to cover his face.

"Tarrant!" Afraid he was falling into a bout of Madness, she scurried forward to secure his wrists and pull his hands away from his face. "Tarrant, it's all right," she said soothingly.

He reluctantly yielded to her grasp, his injured hand dangling at his side as the other reached up to touch her face. "That could just as easily have been you," he whispered. "Now that we know there was one Other Alice, that must mean there were more Other Alices. And more Other Alices made finding _the _Alice all the harder, and finding _the_ Alice made all the harder means there was a chance that you might not have been _the_ Alice, and you not being _the _Alice meant you would have been as doomed as all of those Other Alices, and you being as doomed as all of those Other Alices-" His voice picked up speed and volume as he spoke more and more frantically.

"Tarrant!" Alice shook him slightly.

The yellow seeped out of his eyes as he stared unblinkingly at her. "It's a Bad Thought to consider losing you," he lisped. "Even without the Bond, I never would have survived it, I just know I wouldn't."

Even when she'd been in Otherland and he in Underland, completely cut off from each other, he'd been her best friend. He'd been the only one to believe unfailingly in her, to declare without a shred of doubt that she was _the_ Alice, no doubt about it. But, she had to wonder, would he still have been so confident in her if he had known about Other Alice and her story?"

Tarrant gazed anxiously at her. "What are you thinking?"

Alice firmly pushed away the Bad Thought. What was the matter with her, questioning her Hatter's loyalty? She had only to look at him to see the devotion and admiration in his eyes and painted on his face. That was one thing she adored about him, that he never tried to hide his emotions. "Nothing important," she assured him. "Just that I think my throat is a little dry. Would you care for some tea?"

That sufficiently distracted him, and Alice managed to breathe a sigh of relief as she went to fetch a pot and some cups from Thackery in the kitchen.

* * *

He shouldn't pick it up. He _knew_ he shouldn't pick it up with every fiber of his being and more. In fact, the Voices were veritably _screaming_ at him not to even Think about touching it.

But Tarrant's hand reached out of its own accord, his fingers wrapping around and lifting _The Chronicles of Alice_. He was sure Alice hadn't meant to leave it in his workshop, but what with tea and then dinner, she had forgotten about it, and so had he. Until now.

Tucking the book into an inside pocket of his jacket, Tarrant blew out the lamps in his workshop and headed for his quarters. Alice had retired early, saying she was a little tired. And he could see the circles under her eyes, though he had a feeling they were brought on more from concern than genuine fatigue. That was why he was shutting down his workshop and heading for his own rooms early - he felt too tired, emotionally if not physically, to put forth the required effort to make good hats.

Once he'd entered the common room of his quarters and locked the door behind him, he went straight to the comfortable chair by the fireplace and settled in. For a moment he held _The Chronicles of Alice_ on his lap, staring at the surprisingly benign cover. It was amazing how something so plain and harmless could hide such a horrible and ugly truth.

As before, his fingers took on a mind of their own and opened the book. He thumbed through the pages, looking at the illustrations more than actually reading the words. He enjoyed reading more that most, but after Alice and Mirana's reactions, he wasn't sure he wanted to read the words. There was sometimes an awful Power in words, and he had no desire to invoke that, not tonight.

Tarrant wanted to put aside the book. He really did. He wanted to get up, fix some tea, then go to bed and sleep until the Tiredness left his bones and the Images his mind. But he remained transfixed by the illustrations, locked in place by first the sweet innocence of them, then the sinister darkness that found ready echoes in the Madness of his own mind.

He flipped yet another page, and then there it was. The Horrible Image that had affected him so deeply earlier in the day.

Suddenly the leather cover seemed to be burning his hands, and he dropped the book with a yelp. Throwing himself out of his chair, he backed away from it, almost expecting it to come alive and chase after him. A serpentine chill slithered up his spine, and he wrapped his coat a bit tighter to ward off the cold.

What had he been thinking, picking up that Cursed book?

Still shivering, he went to make his desired tea. He didn't bother waiting for it to cool, gulping it down even though it burned his tongue and everything else on the way down. The pain gave him something else to concentrate on, at least until it was gone. Once it was, he went straight to his bed, shucked his shoes, Hat, coat, and cravat before huddling under as many blankets as he could pile on, trying to ease the icy panic that had found its way into his very veins.

He closed his eyes, trying to picture a blank black canvas. Each time the paintbrush of a memory tried to creep in, he shoved it away. He was afraid to try to invite a good thought in for fear of the bad somehow managing to slip in, too. So he desperately clung to the blankness until his mind slipped into sleep, and he had no more control…

_

* * *

_

He knew, somehow, that he wasn't himself. He'd heard of Out of Body Experiences, but had never really believed in them. Until now.

_Looking down at himself, he thought that he looked an awful lot like his actual self. The bandages were much the same, as were the thimbles and stains and mercury burns. He could feel the comforting weight of a Hat on his head, but when he lifted his hand to it he realized it was missing its peacock feather and sash. He thought about taking it off to get a look with his eyes instead of his hands, but something else captured his attention first._

_Alice (or was it really Other Alice, since he had to be Other Hatter?) stood in the same armor she'd worn on the Frabjous Day, the Vorpal sword clutched in her hands. Her jaw was set with determination, her eyes bright as she faced down the Creature she'd sworn to slay._

_He wanted to shout at her. He wanted to warn her to turn back, to drop the sword and _run_, because she was going to die. Even though his mouth was open, his throat refused to work to release the words that were rapidly bottling up to the exploding point inside him. Gritting his teeth, he tried to move so he could pull her away, but his feet refused to work, too._

_And then the Jabberwocky was there, all teeth and claws and glowing red eyes. Its battle cry was so loud that he had to lift his hands to his ears to keep from being deafened by the sound. Yet Alice stood stoically, sword lifted, eyes blazing, every inch of her oozing confidence._

_It took only one swipe with the Jabber's wicked claws. Alice was flung aside like a rag doll, her body sailing across the battlefield to land in a broken heap at his feet._

_Only then did his invisible chains release him. Dropping to his knees, he scrabbled for her shoulders, turning her over to get a better look. The chest plate of her armor was peeled back like the lid of a can. Her chest was a shredded, bloody mess, skin and muscle indistinguishable from the remnants of her shirt, her bones visible in some places._

_He clung to her, cradling her against him despite the mess, sticky blood spilling everywhere, though its stream was slowing as her life-force congealed in death. Her eyes were open, a hint of defiance still lingering there even though she no longer saw. The expression on her face was twisted with surprise and pain, and he knew there had been a single moment of suffering before she had died. The crimson staining her lips spoke of that if nothing else._

_The explosion of searing white pain in his head was as sudden as it was excruciating. He slumped over Alice, one hand falling away from supporting her to brace himself so he wouldn't put any weight on her, though he knew logically that she couldn't feel his touch any more, no matter how softly or roughly he handled her._

"_Alice," he moaned. He wasn't sure if he was mourning her, or begging her to come back to him, or just begging her to help assuage the agony in his head._

_He felt the last thread of sanity Alice had kept him clinging to snap, and the Madness roared over him like a cool wave of water over a raging fire._

It was the clamoring in his head that finally snapped Tarrant out of his sleep. He shot up in bed, shoving off the constricting blankets that had been smothering and cooking him. He heard something rip in his haste, but ignored it, desperate to get free, to _get away_.

His heart thrummed like a drum, so loud it almost drowned out the Voices, at least for a while. For a moment he sat completely still, eyes darting restlessly around the room, taking in the familiar surroundings of his quarters in Marmoreal.

_It was a dream. Nothing more than a dream_. He needed to keep telling himself that, because he knew deep down inside that while it _had _been a dream, it was also a reality, something that had happened a long time ago to another Hatter and another Alice that had not been as lucky as he and his Alice.

This time his headache had nothing to do with his and Alice's lack of proximity. It was brought on by the realization that, had he stayed asleep even a moment longer, the Madness in his dream would have overpowered the last bit of sanity _he_ had left, and this time it would have been Alice suffering until she died, as alone and broken as Alistair had been all those years ago.

_~To Be Continued~_

_**I'm so sorry for the depressing fog hanging over this chapter. Tarrant's dream sequence was adapted from the original images I had in my head when I conceived this story, only slightly changed to fit as a dream sequence instead of an actual series of events. Thank you all again so much for being so patient with me and my sporadic updates, and I really hope you enjoyed this chapter!**_


	11. Tempting Fate

Please see first chapter for disclaimer, rating, warnings, pairings, etc.

**Author's Note:** I worked extra hard to get this update out on time as an apology for the sporadic updates I've been giving you before. Hopefully now I'm back on scheduling track, and I won't make you have to wait so long again. This chapter was incredibly fun to write, and I did throw some fluff in there for those of you (and you know who you are! -wink-) who requested it. Thank you all again so much for all your lovely and encouraging words, not to mention the alerts - and we've broken 100 reviews! You all are _awesome_!

**-Chapter 11-**

_Tempting Fate_

Alice lay awake for a long time, staring at her moonlit ceiling, trying to get rid of the images lingering in her mind. After a while she got up and made herself some tea, knowing she'd not sleep without something to relax her. She was wound tighter than McTwisp at the moment.

Once her tea had steeped, she went to curl up in the chair next to the fireplace. The night was cool, so the heat from the fire and her tea felt good. Tucking her feet beneath her, she cradled her cup in her hands and sighed contentedly. It was amazing what a good herbal tea did for her.

Drawing in the scents of apples and cranberries, Alice took a lingering sip and then leaned her head against the back of her chair. _Ahhh._ She had always enjoyed teas, but there was something about drinking Underlanian-brewed tea _in_ Underland that couldn't be surpassed.

"Hello, Champion."

The suddenness of the voice speaking behind her nearly made her upset her hot tea all over herself. Alice spun in her chair, looking back toward the door into her bedroom.

A woman stood there, where just moments before there had been no one. She wore a long silver sheath dress, and as she walked forward Alice noticed her feet were bare. Her face was almost pixie-like, framed by jaw-length red hair. "Welcome back to Underland."

Alice shifted, setting aside her cup as she slowly rose to her feet, keeping the chair between her and the other woman. "Do I know you?" she asked warily.

The woman laughed, the sound like the wind through the trees. "Not personally, no. But I'm well acquainted with _you_."

"May I have a name to work with?"

Lifting her hands slightly to the side, she bowed at her waist. "I have many names, but you might know me best as Fate."

"…Fate." _Of course. They all talk about Time as if he's a real person here, so I suppose it's not such a stretch to believe that Fate would be, too._ "To what do I owe the pleasure of this - visit?" She couldn't shake the chill of wariness clinging to the back of her neck.

Fate smiled, her blue (or were they green? No, there they looked grey) eyes shining. "As you have discovered, there have been several other Alices in the course of Underland's history. But you - hmm, you are quite unique, a diamond among rocks, as it were."

Alice wanted to say something, but no appropriate words came to mind, so she stood silently and waited for Fate to get to her point.

"The Bond between Alices and their Most Loyal Hatters have been strong since the first Alice found her way here at the rise of the Jabberwocky's terrible power. Though Time and I hardly get along - he's quite stubborn, and I and your dear Tarrant seem to be the only two with the courage to stand up to him - we can agree on one thing. Alices and Hatters are meant to be together. So we came together and created the Bond - yes, I know, not a very original name, but it serves its purpose - to make this Bond a little more permanent."

This time Alice _could_ think of the right words. "But you're Fate! You _must_ have known what was going to happen to Other Alice, and because of that, Alistair! By the one's death, the other died as well! _How_ could you be so cruel?"

Fate's eyes blazed suddenly scarlet, the color of fresh blood. The planes of her face took on an almost inhuman sharpness as the canvas of her pale skin began to swirl with patterns and whirling images. With a start, Alice realized what she was looking at was mimicking the movements of the pictures in the Oraculum. Seeing where the younger girl's gaze rested, Fate smiled, her teeth suddenly seeming as razor sharp's as a lion's. "That's right," she said. "I hold the destinies of everyone in Underland's lives in my hands. I can see everything, manipulate the threads of Time himself and stand up to his wrath for my own pleasure. You might think me cruel, Little Champion, but know this: Everything Time and I have done since the first Alice fell down that rabbit hole was in preparation for _your_ arrival."

"So you're trying to say that at one of your _whims_ you could destroy Underland and everyone in it," Alice stated coldly.

"That's right," Fate agreed, her tone just as icy. "But since the life of you petty humans is rather amusing to me, I don't, and _probably_ won't." She touched the back of the chair with long fingers, and Alice realized she hadn't noticed Fate's movements to bring her there. One moment she was in the doorway, and the next she was just - _there_, that close. "But know that slaying the Jabberwocky was just the beginning of the things I have in mind for you, Alice. You're quite an interesting enigma, you know. Sometimes I can catch the strings of your destiny and manipulate them, and sometimes I can't." She cocked her head to the side and smiled, looking quite human again except for the images that continued to paint themselves on her skin. "I like you, and your Hatter. You're by far the most interesting pair I've ever encountered, and that's saying something. Believe it or not, everything I'm doing to you both is to make you and your Bond stronger."

"That's it?" Alice asked dubiously.

"I have my reasons for everything, dear," Fate said as she turned to walk away. "And I promise it will all make sense - eventually. Now I suggest you go to bed, it's quite late." She waved her hand dismissively…

…And Alice jerked upright in her chair, spilling her cold tea all down her front. She gasped, wondering just _how_ long she'd been asleep. Had it all been a dream? It seemed likely - she _did_ have a lively imagination.

But there was a feeling, _way_ down deep in her stomach, that made her fairly certain that what she'd just experienced was entirely real. Now she just needed to figure out what to be ready for.

* * *

Tarrant was already in the kitchen by the time Alice got there the next morning. He sat slumped over his breakfast plate, darker-than-normal circles under his eyes, his clothes faded. He looked exhausted.

"Tarrant? Are you all right?" She gently touched his shoulder.

He jerked at her touch, blinking owlishly at her as his green eyes brightened more toward normal. "Yes, what is it this-? Oh, good morning, Alice." His lisp was stronger than she'd ever heard it. "Quite fine, quite fine. I just haven't had a good breakfast yet, and you know that's the most important meal of the day. No breakfast, and you're dragging for the rest of the day." He nodded firmly, then turned and reached for his cup. "And a good stout tea - yes, that's the _perfect_ thing to perk me up." He peeked at her out of the corner of his eye as she sat down, catching the plate that Thackery slid down the counter toward her. "Aye, an' ye look a mite peaked this mornin', tae, Alice."

His descent into brogue didn't bode well. Something had happened to him overnight. "Something happened. Tell me?"

"Just some bad dreams." Tarrant waved his hand dismissively. "Nothing at all unusual. Been happening to me all the time, for as long as I can remember."

"Aye, ya wee blighter!" Thackery shouted from across the kitchen, banging two pans together as if knocking their heads before letting them both clatter noisily onto the stovetop.

Alice thoughtfully stared at the Hare, who seemed even more on edge than usual this morning. "I had quite the unusual encounter last night," she said casually.

"Aye? Now that you're back in Underland, I'd imagine you'll have several," Tarrant said, chuckling. "All of us are a bit unusual, luv."

Alice politely chose not to comment on that. "I met Fate."

The milliner nearly choked on the drink of tea he'd just taken. He clapped his hand over his mouth to keep from spewing it, and after making several choking noises, he seemed to successfully swallow it. "Fate, you say?" he asked between coughs.

"Yes. She's quite - interesting." Alice sipped at her own tea wryly as she tried to figure out how to describe the inhuman woman who'd appeared in her bedroom - or in her dreams, whichever. "She told me a few things. Most of it was incomprehensible, and the rest I cannot, in good conscience, repeat. But…" She trailed off, thoughtfully nibbling on a scone as she thought back to the conversation from the night before. "She did give me a warning."

"What kind of warning?" Tarrant asked edgily.

"I don't know, exactly. But she said something about my slaying the Jabberwocky was just the beginning of the things she had in mind for me."

Hatter's expression tightened. "I don't like the sound of that."

"Nor did I. But no matter what I said or did, Fate seemed unlikely to offer any further details. She all but said I had to figure out the rest on my own."

"Fate and Time make quite the pair," Tarrant muttered, glaring at the crumpet Thackery had just launched onto his plate. "They're both fickle, they're both temperamental, and they're both unbelievably cryptic."

"I noticed." Alice smoothly caught the crumpet the Hare tossed at her, then reached for the butter. "I know I should be more worried about this than I am, but what with everything else…" She trailed off and shrugged hopelessly.

"The ball?" Tarrant asked.

"The ball," Alice agreed.

"Thought so. You shouldn't be worried, Alice. Most everyone there you are already acquainted with, and the few that aren't will be more than happy to introduce themselves. The White Queen, I heard, has invited several of the elite White Guard, and I hear they're quite the nice lot. Thackery will obviously fix enough food to last a week-"

"-Ya exaggerate too much, ya crumpet head!" that creature shouted from across the kitchen.

"I do not exaggerate, Thackery, I am simply complimenting your excellent culinary skills!" Tarrant promptly shouted back before continuing his earlier line of thought as if he hadn't been interrupted. "-and I'm more than sure the Tweedles will happily be taking up the majority of your time. Once they light and stick, there's no prying them loose."

"They're darling," Alice sighed. "I meant to see more of everyone else when I returned to Underland, but thus far my time seems to be taken up by you, Thackery, and the Queen."

"None of us are complaining a whit, luv," Tarrant assured her. "I've missed you something awful, and I heard the Queen comment on several occasions that she wished you'd return if for no other reason than to have 'sensible female company,' I believe she put it." The corner of his mouth quirked up in a little grin as his eyes sparkled.

She gently nudged his shoulder with her own. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"Everything. Teaching me how to dance, being my friend, making me smile and laugh when it feels like the entire world - the entirety of two worlds, for that matter - is conspiring against me. Just - _thank you_."

"Anything for you, Alice," he said, and she got the distinct feeling that he meant his words quite literally.

* * *

After breakfast, Tarrant went to his workshop and Alice went in search of the Queen. She hoped Mirana wouldn't be busy with courtly duties at that time, for she dearly wished to talk to her about her dream-encounter with Fate. She didn't know of anyone else who would be wise enough to interpret such things other than Absolem, and she wasn't so sure she was in the mood to deal with his cryptic riddles.

Fortunately, Mirana was in the gardens when Alice finally found her. The Queen's dark lips turned up in a sincere smile when she saw Alice. "Good morning, Champion!" she called. "How are things today?"

"Fairly well," she said. She and Tarrant were further apart than they usually strayed, but the pain in her head was minimal compared to what she'd felt before. It was so light, she could almost ignore it.

"That's - good?" Mirana's brow wrinkled. "Why only fairly well?"

"I had a - well, I'm not sure if it was really a _dream_, but I woke up after it was over, so I'm thinking it was. Anyway, I had an encounter with Fate last night."

Mirana's eyes widened visibly, and she hastily turned to straighten an inanimate rose that had tilted a little too far into the path. "I'm sure it was just a dream, dear."

Her behavior was immediately suspicious to Alice. "You know something, don't you, Your Majesty?"

"Whatever gave you that idea, dear?" Catching Alice's intense, narrow-eyed look, Mirana sighed and dropped her hands to clasp at her waist. "Yes, Alice, I _do_ know something."

Feeling her insides twist nervously, she asked, "What is it?"

The Queen glanced briefly toward the castle before she turned back to Alice. "My dear, it's never wise to tempt Fate. I'm not one to speak ill of anyone, particularly not some of the most powerful beings in Underland, but the truth is - she likes playing games with us. She finds it amusing to twist us to her will, and usually we know nothing about it. Being Queen, however, gives me a certain - _outlook_ on things, if you catch my drift."

"Access to the Oraculum," Alice supplied.

Mirana looked relieved that she didn't have to voice the words. "Precisely. Absolem is the Overseer of that Document, of course. But even I usually don't see it more than once every few years. The events of the Frabjous Day was more the exception rather than the rule. It is never a good idea for people to know too much about the future - whether theirs, or someone else's. The only reason Absolem let the events of the Frabjous Day be so widely known is to bring back Hope from where we thought it had been entirely lost."

Alice _really_ didn't like where she thought this was going. "There's another reason why I was brought back to Underland besides Tarrant, isn't there?" she asked.

Glancing away uncomfortably, Mirana nodded. "I believe so. Though I also _very_ firmly believe that bringing you and Tarrant together is the strongest reason you were called back."

She noticed how the White Queen was very carefully choosing her words. Alice knew the woman wouldn't lie outright, but she _was_ Mistress of White Lies, and employed that ability every now and then. "What was in the Oraculum, Highness?" she whispered.

Mirana was silent for a long time, gazing off somewhere into the distance at something only she could see. "Darkness," she finally said. "A black background shot through with shades of crimson - and this should say something, since the Oraculum has never foretold anything with color - and you, Alice, in the middle of it all." Her chin lifted slightly, a wobbly smile on her lips. "You were wearing a Crown of Underland."

_~To Be Continued~_

_**The plot thickens... Once more, thank all you amazing people for your reviews, alerts, and for just taking the time to read my story. I hope you enjoyed the chapter, and the next should be up soon!**_


	12. Tick Tock

Please see first chapter for disclaimer, rating, warnings, pairings, etc.

**Author's Note:** A huge thank you goes out to everyone who reviewed the last chapter! I completely agee with all of you who said that Fate was one creepy lady - I _completely_ agree with you. She freaked me out while I was writing her! I kept feeling the need to take my hands off the keyboard and wipe them since I was writing such an oily character. From the title of this chapter, you can probably guess who makes a special guest appearance, and I hope you enjoy it! Thanks so much for reading!

**-Chapter 12-**

_Tick Tock_

Alice had not been so primped and preened and polished since the fated day she'd turned down Hamish Ascot's hand in marriage. This time, however, when she looked at her reflection in the looking glass in her room, she was satisfied with her image. She looked like herself, not like what someone else _thought_ she should look like. Even the elaborate coif one of Mirana's handmaids had twisted her hair was something she liked.

Running her hand down the midnight blue silk of her skirt, Alice stood from her dressing table and drew in a deep breath. Even though the ball was just more or less a gathering of friends rather than a huge, fancy affair, Alice felt like she'd been dolled up for one of the latter occasions (which, she knew, Mirana would be arranging sooner rather than later).

A gentle knock on the door signaled Tarrant's arrival. Taking one last look at her reflection, she shook off her nervousness and went to open the door.

"Good evening, Alice," he started. Then his eyes widened when he saw Alice, his mouth rounding slightly in surprise. "Wow."

A blush warmed her cheeks as she gazed back at him. He looked quite handsome in his new suit, with his hair halfway tamed under his trademark Hat. His eyes were bright, happy green, his smile as endearingly wide as ever. "Ready?" he asked, presenting his elbow to her.

"I am." Alice slid her hand into the crook of his elbow and smiled as they started off. More subjects than usual were scurrying around, plunging the usually peacefully quiet palace into carefully-controlled chaos.

Two white-uniformed chess soldiers opened the doors to the smaller of Marmoreal's two ballrooms as Alice and Tarrant approached. The sound of lively music drifted out to their ears, as well as the murmur of conversation. Several people were dancing, and everyone else was clustered in groups around the room talking and laughing.

When Mirana spotted the couple entering the ballroom, she lifted her hands and clapped gently. "Ladies and gentlemen, presenting Underland's Champion, Alice Kingsleigh, and her escort, Royal Hatter to the White Court, Tarrant Hightopp!"

Alice felt her cheeks grow red-hot again. She wished her hair weren't pulled up and back so she could tip her head forward and hide behind her long blonde tresses. Very briefly she considered turning and running as fast her legs could take her, but Tarrant reached across his body and placed his hand over hers, squeezing encouragingly. She felt some of the tension slide out of her body, helping her relax a little.

All of her friends had cleaned up well. Bayard, Bielle, and their puppies all looked like they'd been freshly bathed and brushed; Thackery was wearing a new suit, though he still clutched his cooking spoon in one hand like a scepter; Mally had put on a frilly dress; Chess's fur shone as if he'd just groomed himself; the Tweedles looked quite dashing in matching suits; and Nivens looked like he was _actually_ having a little bit of fun. The White Queen, however, outshone everyone. Her white hair was intricately braided, then pulled back in a large clip that let the rest of it tumble down her back in curls. Her dress was studded with pearls that matched the choker necklace, and her cheeks were blushed an attractive peach.

Alice sighed, feeling like she paled in comparison. Tarrant caught where she was looking and leaned over, speaking only for her ears. "Aye, an' the Queen looks lovely, as sh' always does," he said. "Bu' if'n ye are nae th' belle o' th' ball tonigh', Ah'll ne'er make another ha' in me lifetime." He smiled, honesty and genuine affection in his eyes.

"May I have this dance, poppet?"

She jumped and turned to face Chess, who had silently wisped into existence next to her. "I would be honored, if Tarrant doesn't mind…?" She didn't want to offend him, particularly since he had been the one how to teach her Underland's dances.

For a moment Tarrant eyed the Cat warily, then smiled and nodded. "As long as you save a couple for me."

Alice rested her hand on the paw Chessur extended toward her. "You look beautiful this evening, Alice," he said.

"You look quite dashing yourself, Chess." She laughed as he purred happily, his tail swishing through the air as she took his other paw. Then he guided her through the air, floating his way through all the leads.

Alice laughed as they swung through the Joyful-style dance. The music was quite fast-paced, so she soon found herself a bit out of breath and quite flushed. Once the song was over, Chess executed a mid-air bow and then escorted her back to the edge of the dance floor. "You look thirsty, luv," he said. "And I think the Queen is waiting to speak with you over by the punch table." With one last grin and a waggle of his paw, he vanished.

Mirana smiled as Alice approached. With a flourish of one hand, she presented Alice with a cup. "How are you enjoying the ball?" Her dark eyes were bright with hope.

"Very well," Alice said truthfully. After all, she'd only entered and then danced with Chess, who was a charming partner and a surprisingly good dancer.

The Queen smiled in obvious relief. "That's good," she said. "I was trying to make things as comfortable as possible for you." She glanced over her shoulder, then leaned forward and lowered her voice. "I also planned this so we could all forget things for a night. All of us have something weighing heavily on our minds, and it's good to be able to put them aside for a while."

Alice nodded in complete agreement. Not only did she have her and Tarrant's bond and being forced to face her feelings for Tarrant to contend with, but now she had Fate's strange visit and the Oraculum's strange prediction to worry about, too. Things were spiraling out of her control, and she wasn't sure how to regain it. "Thank you, milady."

"You're Underland's Champion, dear. This is the least we could do to show our gratitude." With one last smile, Mirana flitted off to talk to a White Knight, whom she then proceeded to dance with.

Slowly scanning the dance floor, Alice couldn't hide her laugh when she saw Tarrant out on the dance floor, Mally balancing on the brim of his Hat as they both danced to the current tune being played.

At that moment, a man dressed in an immaculate suit appeared before Alice and bowed formally at the waist. "Champion Alice," he greeted. "May I have the honor of dancing with you?"

Blinking slowly in surprise, Alice nodded and curtsied. "Of course, kind sir, it would be my pleasure."

Taking her proffered hand, the gentleman led her to the floor and then turned to face her, effortlessly leading them along with the beat. "I must say it's a pleasure to see the woman who has caused such a fuss here." A small smile quirked the corner of his mouth. "And the woman over whom Tarrant Hightopp killed me."

Alice almost stopped dancing right there in the middle of the floor. "_Time_?" she squeaked.

"At your service," he said with an engaging smile. He blinked, and instead of the bright blue eyes he'd had a moment before, his irises and pupils had been replaced with two small, ticking clocks. "Now that I've seen you, am talking with you, _and_ dancing with you, I do believe I see why Tarrant got so mad at me when I doubted you," he said dryly.

She opened her mouth to respond, but couldn't seem to find either her voice _or_ the right words. She only stared at Time, who grinned in amusement at her obvious consternation. "Weren't expecting me to be so handsome, were you?" he said cheekily.

That unlocked her vocal chords. "I was actually expecting you to be - well - incorporeal," she said honestly. "Even though I don't know why, considering the fact that I've already met another of you in human form."

Time's smile disappeared into a flat line of disapproval. "Fate. You shouldn't believe everything she says, you know. She likes to play with humans."

Alice arched her eyebrow. "Funny. She said much the same thing about you."

Chuckling wryly, Time shrugged his shoulders. "We don't usually get along," he said unapologetically. "About the only thing we can agree on is that an Alice belongs with a Hatter." He smiled charmingly.

At the mention of Tarrant, her eyes drifted across the dance floor. He was dancing with Mirana, the two of them looking splendidly perfect with every movement. She sighed, wondering if she looked that good when she danced with him.

As if reading her mind (and maybe he _could_), Time said, "You dance beautifully, love."

"I think you're just saying that," Alice said, smiling.

"Perhaps I am. If you ask around, I'm not the most honest creature you'll ever meet, or so they say. Personally, I think honesty is overrated, but what do I know?" He winked.

Alice gently steered their conversation to a more businesslike subject. "I'm surprised you didn't wait to come to me until I was asleep," she said dryly.

"Oh, no. No, no, no, no. That's what Fate does. She's sneaky, and a bit of a coward, if you ask me. I like to take risks and be daring - thus, I prefer to appear in the middle of a public gathering." He tipped his head from side to side in illustration.

"So everyone else can see you, too?" Alice asked, a bit surprised.

"If they're looking," he said cryptically. "Now then, darling. I can tell you're impatient for me to get to the point of my visit, and I doubt you'll accept that I came to have a bit of fun and dance with Underland's most famous inhabitant."

Alice tilted her head to the side with an acknowledging smile.

"Well, as Fate so _kindly_ told you, there are some very Important Things that will be coming in your near future," he said. "Well, several. But my point _is_, you know about your Bond with Tarrant, and you know about what the Oraculum is foretelling. I can't give you any more specifics, but I can warn you that things in Underland will start changing very soon." Leaning in, he placed his lips close to Alice's ear and whispered, "The _one_ other thing I can tell you is that not everything will be as it seems. Even when it appears to be obvious that there are no other alternatives." Offering another engaging smile, he let go of her, backed off, and bowed once more. "Fairfarren, Alice, dear."

And then, between one blink and the next, Time was gone and Thackery was standing before her. He was nervously tugging on his ears with his paws, having tucked the handle of his spoon into the scabbard at his waist. She didn't dare wonder what he'd done with the sword that was supposed to be there. "M-May Ah 'ave this dance, Alice?" he asked shyly.

Alice curtsied to him and presented her hands, though she was still wondering how Time had managed to vanish so quickly, and how Thackery had made it across the room in a single blink of an eye. "Of course, Thackery!"

The delightful music picked up tempo as the band smoothly transitioned from one song into the next. To Alice's pleasant surprise, Thackery was a marvelous dancer, able to keep pace with her and the music with obvious ease.

After Thackery, Alice danced with Nivens, again with Chess, and then spent a good four or five (or maybe even six or seven, she kind of lost track) with the Tweedles, who mostly spun her in circles and argued with each other about who danced better. She was immensely relieved when Tarrant came to rescue her, mentioning that Mally had been looking for a new dance partner. The Tweedles made hasty excuses and then scurried off together.

A Romantic tune started up, and Alice smiled. "You arranged this, didn't you?" she asked.

Tarrant grinned. "Perhaps." They slowly made their way across the dance floor, a colorful duo that stood out amongst the general pale shades of Marmoreal. "Who was that gentleman you were dancing with before?" he asked. His eyes were just off their usual shade.

"Someone you're well acquainted with," Alice said. "He has the most unusual eyes: they tick."

A small hiss left his lips as Tarrant's eyes flashed orange as they narrowed dangerously. "Time," he growled. "Whot di' the _slurvish_-"

"Hatter!" she warned, drawing him out of his impending Madness before it could fully grip him.

"-Hat. Yes, thank you, luv." Tarrant let her briefly spin away from him, then back in, before he continued. "What did he want?"

"He mostly didn't want to be bested by Fate, I think," Alice said dryly. "He seemed to have quite a few unkind things to say about her."

Tarrant's lips twisted slightly. "Unsurprising," he said.

"He also said something about liking to take risks and wanting to meet the woman you killed him over," she added. She didn't want to say anything about the additional warnings she'd received, for she wanted some time to think about it and discuss it with Mirana first.

This time her Hatter laughed. "Hmm, that makes sense," he said. "Well - as much sense as Time makes in Underland." Pulling her slightly closer, he smiled down at her, his green irises rimmed with a hint of lavender, and said, "But for now, what's say you we forget Time and Fate and everything for a while, eh?"

Alice leaned her head forward to rest on his shoulder and smiled. "That sounds wonderful to me."

They only danced with each other for the rest of the evening.

_~To Be Continued~_

_**I must say had I a much more delightful time (pardon the pun) writing Time than I did Fate. I hope you all liked reading about him more, too! I also had a lot of fun writing the ball, so I hope you all enjoyed it. Thanks for reading this chapter!**_


	13. Storm Clouds

Please see first chapter for disclaimer, rating, warnings, pairing, etc.

**Author's Note:** Thank you all again so much for your kind reviews, faves, hits, and mostly, your patience with my sporadic updates. Right now between real life and the explosion of ideas in my head, I'm having less time than usual to write, and when I _do_, I'm having to arrange things to try to get as much done in the time I do have to write, especially since I've picked up a new fandom on top of _Alice_ and the _Pirates and Hatters_ series I have going. But don't worry - I will _not_ be abandoning this story, no matter how long I take between updates! I'll be quiet now and let you get on to this chapter, wherein the plot thickens even _more_... Enjoy, and thanks for reading!

**-Chapter 13-**

_Storm Clouds_

Tarrant woke up the morning after the ball with the overwhelming feeling that everything was right in the world. Granted, he had seen Time talking and dancing with Alice the night before, but he had determined not to be jealous, despite how charmed the Champion looked. Time was a tricky fellow, anyway, and liked to think he was quite the womanizer. Besides, Alice didn't seem that enamored by him, so he wasn't going to be worried about him.

He hummed under his breath as he dressed, bumping it up to cheerful whistling as he made his way to the kitchen. Marmoreal's halls seemed brighter than usual, he was seeing colors he'd never noticed before, and _everything_ seemed sharper.

"Yer _late_ fer breakfas'!" Thackery shouted, throwing a bowl at him as he entered the kitchen. He ducked, chuckling, as he went to sit at the counter.

"Good morning to you, too, Thackery," he said.

At that moment the doors burst open again, startling both the Hatter and the Hare. The latter was so shocked at the unexpected intrusion that he didn't even throw anything or yell. Tarrant turned to see who had come in, not at all expecting who it was.

"I'm late!" Mirana gasped out. She turned pleadingly to Thackery. "I need a cup of tea and a scone," she said. "I don't have time for anything else."

Tarrant couldn't stop himself from staring. The White Queen was never ruffled, just as she most certainly was _never_ late. And yet here she was, standing in Marmoreal's kitchen afflicted with both dishevelment _and_ tardiness. "My Queen?" he stammered.

She winced when she caught his gaze. "I'm afraid I'm terribly out of sorts this morning," she said apologetically. "I did something today that I have not done since I was a very young girl - I overslept." Her cheeks were tinged peach with obvious embarrassment.

A strange feeling manifested itself in his chest. Reaching into his pocket, he snatched out his pocket watch. Holding it up, he scowled at it, dunked it in his fresh tea, then looked at it again.

"Why - that - _slurvish_ little-!"

"Hatta'!" Mally, who had just entered the kitchen, shouted.

Tarrant's mouth snapped shut. "Thank you." Turning back to Mirana, he held up his pocket watch. "Time's done it again," he grated. "Only this time the _guddler's scut_ has twisted himself all over Marmoreal, and probably even Underland."

Mirana's dark eyes narrowed, almost seeming to glow slightly with an angry fire. "When I saw him at the party last night, I thought he was just out for a little frivolity," she said. "If I had known he was planning a stunt like _this_…"

"There's nothin' we can do about 'im," Mally pointed out mournfully. "'E's one of th' mos' powerful bein's in Underland. We can't touch 'im."

The White Queen's fury abated a bit. "True," she conceded. "But still…" She shook her head.

Once more, the kitchen door opened, this time to admit Alice. "Good morning, everyone," she said cheerfully. Then she seemed to catch on to the general mood, and her good-natured smile faded. "What's wrong?" she asked cautiously.

Tarrant held up his watch and shook it slightly. "Time," he ground out from between his teeth. "He's got himself in a twist again, and this time it's more than just me and Thackery included."

Alice stepped forward to look at his watch. When she saw it, her eyes widened. "Is _that_ really the time?" she gasped out.

"I'm afraid so," Mirana said. She cradled her cup of tea in both hands and sipped a little faster than her usual genteel way.

"So - we've _all_ overslept this morning?" Alice ran her slender fingers through her blonde hair, her face adorably wrinkled with confusion. "I thought I was just tired from the ball last night."

"No, it wasn't jus' you," Mally growled. Her little paw flexed around the hatpin sword strapped to her waist, as if wishing she could use it on Time.

Alice warily glanced around. "I'm guessing since everyone is reacting this way, nothing like this has ever happened before?"

Mirana set aside her cup, her usual smile noticeably missing. "No. Usually Time will take a liking to or have a spat with one or two persons, and things will be different for them for a while. But he's never done something on this grand a scale before." With a slight curtsy, she excused herself and rushed as gracefully as possible from the room.

"Something is going on here," Alice declared. "There are too many coincidences for this all to be nothing. First Fate came for a visit, then Time, and now _this_?"

"Bad things come in threes," Tarrant offered. "This _would_ be the third thing..." He was doubtful that it was the last, though.

Alice looked about as hopeful as he did, which wasn't very. "Both Fate and Time gave me warnings that things were going to start changing soon. And Mirana told me about something in the Oraculum, and-"

"Wait, wha'?" Mally's ears perked up a bit. "She saw somethin' in the Oraculum about all o' this?"

"I don't know if it's directly related," Alice informed her.

Tarrant wanted desperately to ask her what it was, but he knew better. Oftentimes knowing what was in the Oraculum before it happened brought about nothing good. He was a very painful example of that. "Let's hope it's not," he said. "Because we have enough to worry about already without something else landing in our laps."

Thackery served them breakfast with even more frenzy than usual. Since he, too, had overslept, he was in a tizzy to catch up with breakfast, then his preparations for lunch, then brillig, then the evening meal. The already mad Hare, it seemed, had just become a little madder.

As soon as they finished eating, Alice, Tarrant, and Mally escaped the kitchen. Once Thackery was by himself again, he would calm down and be better able to concentrate.

Alice nervously ran her hands down the front of her blue sundress. "I feel like I should be doing _something_ to prepare for what's coming, but I don't know _how_ to do so. At least on the Frabjous Day I knew a bit about what I was preparing to do. With all these jumbled warnings, I know next to nothing. How do you prepare to do a battle with Nothing?"

"There's no' much," Mally declared from her perch on Tarrant's Hat brim. "Th' bes' ye can do is try to b' prepared for _anythin' _tha' comes at ya."

Hatter nodded in agreement. "Mally's right." He wished he had even the slightest hint of Knowledge to impart, but he was basically useless. If only Time (blasted fellow), Fate (conniving witch), and the Oraculum (vague parchment) had been more specific. What was the point in once more calling upon Underland's Champion, if she didn't know what she was up against? It made no sense, even by Underlandian standards.

"Good morning, everyone," Chess drawled. He misted into existence between Tarrant and Alice, making the couple have to jump away from each other to make room for him. "Or should I say 'Good afternoon'?"

Tarrant violently fought back the Madness hovering at the edge of his mind. For some reason Chess was always able to rile up a reaction just by being in the same room. "I'd rather ye said _nothin'_," he snarled. "Else Ah'll make ye intae one of me hats."

Chess's grin widened as he stretched languorously. But the gleam in his big turquoise eyes made it more than clear that his careless attitude was a sham. "As long as I get to wear it, Tarrant." Turning to Alice, he said, "Now what's this about Time, Fate, the Oraculum, and warnings?"

Alice's voice was slightly stiff when she replied. "I have been given several warnings as of late that things in Underland are changing, and it all has something to do with me," she said. "All of those warnings are infuriatingly vague, however, so I have no idea how to prepare to fight an enemy I know nothing about."

"Hmm. Perhaps you are supposed to fight Nothing himself?" Chess thoughtfully tapped a paw against his chin, then shook his head. "No, no, that makes no sense."

"'Alf th' time, Underlan' makes no sense," Mally growled. "Wha's yer poin'?"

"I have one?" The Cat faked shock, then dropped the façade and turned back to Alice. "You know I never get involved in politics, dear."

"You _do_ know something!" Tarrant accused.

Turning back to the Hatter, Chessur grinned so widely it looked like his face was split in half. "I _always_ know _something _about what's going on," he said derisively. "The question is, what do _I_ get in return for imparting such wonderful nuggets of Knowledge?"

Tarrant lost his already tenuous control. "Ah won' turn ye intae a Hat, ye-"

"Hatter!"

"Tarrant!"

Mally and Alice's mingled warnings quickly snapped him back to himself, but his meaning had been more than clear. Chess floated a little higher and, making sure he was out of reach of the infuriated Hatter, turned back to Alice. "There have been some stirrings in the Outlands," he said. "Reports of some - _unusual_ things."

"The Outlands are already unusual," Tarrant pointed out. But he knew immediately what the Cat was hinting at. There could be no other explanation for what was happening.

Chess blinked his huge eyes lazily. "Unusual even for the Outlands," he clarified. "Besides, can't you feel that in the air?" He arched his back and shuddered slightly.

"Feel what?" Alice asked, clearly puzzled.

"Ah can."

Three pairs of eyes turned to Mally, who was suddenly interested in studying the seam along the shoulder of Tarrant's coat. Hatter hadn't even noticed her moving from his Hat brim, so focused had he been on the Cat. "There's somthin' in th' air," she said.

"An electricity," Chessur agreed. "There's a storm coming."

It took great effort for Tarrant's jaw not to drop. "A storm? In _Marmoreal_?" While it did rain sometimes, just to keep everything blooming and healthy, it never stormed with wind and lightning and the like. It usually stayed sunny throughout the rain, which painted the sky in beautiful rainbow colors during the daytime.

"Precisely," the Cat whispered as he evaporated into grey smoke, and then nothing.

Alice scowled at the last place Chess had been seen, then turned to the Mouse perched on Hatter's shoulder. "Mally, why didn't you say something before?" she asked gently.

"Ah was afrai' tae," she admitted. "Ah was afrai' tha' if Ah di', it woul' become true."

As if in testimony of her words, a deep rumbling echoed through the hall, lasting a few seconds before fading out. Tarrant and Alice rushed to the nearest window, both freezing in dread when they saw the black clouds building on the horizon. The occasional flicker of white light inside showed the true magnitude of the storm coming straight for Marmoreal.

Underland was falling apart at the seams, and it seemed no one knew how to repair it. And the few who did would tell not a soul - not even the one person they seemed to be depending on to save them all.

_~To Be Continued~_

_**Thanks again for your patience and kind words, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Thanks for reading!**_


	14. Damage

Please see first chapter for disclaimer, rating, warnings, pairing, etc.

**Author's Note:** Again I find myself apologizing for the long wait. But I hit a bit of a hitch with this chapter - I wrote three or four versions of it before being satisfied with this one, which best leads into the action coming in future chapters. Not only that, I've become active in another fandom, so I've had those characters shuffling for priority with those from _Alice_ for a while now. I'm trying to evenly spread my attention, but with the difficulties I had in this chapter, that was easier said than done. I can't say when the next chapter will be up, but as I said before, I promise that I have absolutely no intentions of abandoning this story before its completion. Thank you again so much for your patience and your support, and I hope you enjoy this chapter!

**-Chapter 14-**

_Damage_

Alice had gone through phases in her life when she had been afraid of storms, and loved them. More recently it was the latter, but suddenly she found herself swinging back towards the former.

Chills raced themselves up and down her arms as she watched the sheer fury of the storm sweeping toward Marmoreal. Icy fingers of wind were reaching ahead of the rest of it, whipping through the cherry trees with a ferocity that was downright frightening. Petals from the tree's flowers swirled through the air, ripped this way and that by the gusts that were growing stronger by the minute.

Standing on one of Marmoreal's beautiful balconies, her arms wrapped around herself to ease her outer chill, Alice faced down the storm and knew, somehow, that this was what she was supposed to defeat. Or, at least, a manifestation of what she was supposed to defeat. She didn't know the specifics, of course, just bits and pieces of warnings and clues and possibilities. But here was proof that what she'd been told since she'd returned to Underland was true. As before, there could be no more running and hiding, because, even though she still had her muchness, there was still a part of her that wanted to snatch up all her friends (and Tarrant, most particularly Tarrant) and make a run for it. Perhaps if she ran far enough, fast enough, she could outrun this destiny, too.

But no. There were too many people looking to her, as they had before, to save them. In the end all she really was, and ever could be, was Underland's Champion. Yes, she had found friends and perhaps even love as well. However, the hard truth was that those were just byproducts of the bigger picture, the destiny that had led her to that rabbit hole in the first place. The predetermined set of footsteps that guided her on every journey she took in Underland, and perhaps even Overland. As little as she liked to think about it, perhaps Fate was right, and she was just a puppet, a plaything. Something there for a while to amuse the Powerful Deities of which even Mirana was wary, then disposed of when they grew bored of her. Perhaps, in the end, her Wonderland wasn't so Wonderful after all.

"Alice! What are you doing out here? You'll catch cold." Something warm and soft settled around her shoulders, and Alice inhaled the familiar scent that was uniquely Tarrant - exotic fabrics, myriad teas, and just a hint of wood smoke.

She leaned back, tucking herself against his chest as his arms automatically lifted to wrap around her in addition to his worn coat. "I'm facing down my destiny," she said softly. The words hardly seemed to be her own.

Tarrant stiffened from head to toe, and suddenly his breathing was harsher in her ear. "Don' believe everythin' ye hear," he almost growled. His arms reflexively tightened around her, not painfully, but tight enough to protectively be able to jerk her away from a perceived threat without a chance of dropping or hurting her.

Alice blinked at the black clouds boiling closer and closer. There was something almost mesmerizing about the storm… "I can't afford not to," she replied. "If there is even a chance that Underland needs me again-"

"An' then wha'? When you're finished, ye'll go galumphin' back to yer worl' wi' nary a care for th' ones ye're leavin' behin'?"

Something painful and sharp twisted into her heart at Tarrant's words, which were bitter and hard and so painful to hear, and undoubtedly to speak. "I never meant to hurt you," she whispered. She wasn't sure he could hear her over the wind, whose screams had increased to a fevered pitch.

"Aye, bu' tha' don' erase th' fac' ye did, lass," he said. Now he just sounded tired. "Whether ye mean' tae or nae, th' facts are still there for everyone tae see." His head lowered against her shoulder.

Alice lifted her hand, wrapping it around Tarrant's forearm since she couldn't quite reach his head at her awkward angle. She wondered idly where his Hat was; just as quickly decided he'd left it inside to protect it against the storm. "If I had known how my leaving would affect you-"

"Don' say it, lass." Tarrant lifted his head. "Ye still woul' 'ave lef', an' ye know it." Despite his brogue, he sounded calmer now than he had before.

Would she? Alice wasn't as sure of that as Tarrant seemed to be. There was, admittedly, a possibility. But there was also a possibility that, had she known the extent of his feelings for her (and, in truth, the extent of _her_ true feelings for _him_) at the time, she wouldn't have left. Oh, she would have _eventually_, long enough to give her family Above closure about her disappearance. But it would not have been so immediate, so abrupt and impersonal, that was for sure.

"Recrimination ne'er solved anythin'," Tarrant sighed. "Ah suppose we shoul' leave th' Past tae himself, an' only live in the Now, anticipatin' th' Future."

It was the future Alice was worried about. "Yes," she agreed quietly. "The future."

Tarrant's chest vibrated against hers, and she knew he was growling slightly. "Underland has always had a mind of her own. Someone can rule the inhabitants, keep the order and the peace - just as easily bring about disorder and chaos - but there's no ruling Underland. I have never felt more bitter about that fact until just now."

"So we're all feeling like chess pieces, pawns in a game." She didn't have to phrase it as a question.

"Aye." Tarrant shifted his hands to her arms, rubbing up and down comfortingly. "I just hope Underland decides to let me share more of the dangers with you this time. If not, she'll just have to hold her peace, because I am not letting you face another monster on your own."

Tears prickled the backs of her eyes, and this time they weren't caused by the sting of the wind. (Only then did she really notice that neither of them had made a move to return to the relative safety of the castle, despite Tarrant's former warning.) Subconsciously she'd been looking for some sort of affirmation from Tarrant ever since she'd returned to Underland, proof that he did indeed feel more for her than a friend for a friend. She wasn't sure she could use the word Love - that was a very big and dangerous word - but there was definitely_ something_ there. Though not phrased the way she'd thought they'd be, Tarrant's words were the avowal of his feelings that she'd been hoping for.

The first raindrops splattered on the balcony, big and cold. Painful, too, she realized when one rapped her smartly atop the head.

Tarrant's arms went around her again, and he bowed his head over hers as he turned her in his grip. Bracing her hands against his chest, Alice leaned her head forward, tucking it under his chin, feeling the flutter of his too-fast heartbeat under her fingertips. Her hair and dress were rapidly growing heavy with the weight of the rain, but she couldn't move even if her life depended on it (which, she thought ironically, it very well might). This was what she'd unconsciously been yearning for since her memories of Underland had returned to her during her time Above - standing in Tarrant's arms with nothing between them, though now, once more, everything was monumentally stacked against them. But this time they weren't going to shy away.

Finally Alice lifted her head, ignoring the raindrops pelting her formerly dry face as she looked up at Tarrant. His normally frizzy orange hair hung limply, sticking to his face since it was wet, dripping down into his eyes, which were the most curious shade of lavender. His complexion had phantom shades of color to it, no longer the usual pasty white she'd become so accustomed to over her time in Underland. His smile was wider and warmer than she was sure she'd ever seen it, the endearing gap in his teeth the somehow perfect touch to complete his familiar countenance that she felt like she was _truly_ seeing for the first time.

And then he kissed her.

She'd been expecting fanfare and fireworks and for it to be utterly dramatic when he kissed her, but this was better than all of that. It was gentle and heartfelt, sweet and not just because of the honey-laced tea he'd had with breakfast. It was completely genuine and completely wonderful.

It was still raining when the pair of them finally came back to reality, as it were. Alice blinked, finally realizing that this time she wasn't as alone as the thought she was. No matter what Fate, or Time, or the Oraculum said, she had help for this fight. She wasn't alone, and though she was now realizing that she hadn't been alone all along, she _really_ felt like she had real friends and real backup this time.

And, despite the storm raging all around her, for the first time she didn't feel afraid.

* * *

Alice vigorously rubbed at her hair, thankful for the plush towels and equally lavish robes Marmoreal had to offer. Despite the storm still raging outside, she was warm and (mostly) dry in her quarters. After combing out her hair, she retrieved the tea she'd been steeping and went to curl up in the chair by her lit fireplace to finish drying off and warming up, inside and out.

She'd no sooner settled into her chair than a soft tapping sounded on the door. Biting back a groan, she stood up and went to answer it, hoping whoever it was had something really important to say.

Needless to say she was surprised when she realized it was Mirana who had come to visit. The White Queen smiled apologetically when she saw how the younger woman was dressed. "I'm so sorry," she said. "I didn't mean to disturb you."

"It's all right," Alice said, because she wasn't about to tell the queen that she would have preferred to remain in the solitude of her room for the rest of her afternoon, until dinnertime. "Please, come in."

Mirana floated past her into the room, her skirt swishing slightly around her ankles. "To be honest, I wanted to talk to you before we all met for dinner."

Alice paused in the process of closing the door. "Am - I in trouble?" Had she broken some sort of unspoken, unwritten Underlandian rule in the short time she'd been back?

"Not at all," the queen assured her. "I just need to talk to you."

The two women seated themselves in the chairs by the fireplace after Alice offered the queen some tea. "How is Marmoreal faring in this storm?" the latter asked to break the silence.

The White Queen smiled. "The castle is doing well, but I'm afraid my gardens are becoming quite unrecognizable." Her lips trembled slightly. "When this storm is finally over, there will be a lot of reconstructing to do, though I fear the gardens will never be as magnificent as they are - _were_." She sighed. "I know we're asking a lot of you, Alice, and _again_. It hardly seems fair that you came here this time to escape danger, and we have once more thrust you into the heart of it."

Alice shrugged. "I've accepted it," she said. "I don't understand all of it, but I do know that as Champion of Underland it's always possible that I'll be called upon again to defend her and her people. It - it's an honor." The final words, albeit true, rang a little hollow to her ears.

The queen's smile slipped a bit more. Sighing, she looked down at the warm liquid in her cup, swirling it around a bit. "I know certain things have changed since you returned," she said. "I want you to know that I am not prying into either your or Tarrant's lives. But I want to do what I can to help you defeat whatever is coming."

Something prickled at the back of her neck. "You _know_ what's coming, don't you, Highness?"

Mirana set aside her cup and primly folded her hands in her lap. For a long moment she stared into the fire, only her eyes betraying the inner struggle she seemed to be having. At last she turned away from the flames, meeting Alice's gaze squarely. "Yes, I know what's coming."

Leaning forward until she was perched on the edge of her chair, she gazed intensely at the royal. "My Queen, please. The last time I was here I was able to see from the Oraculum and was told exactly what I was facing. But now I'm getting nothing but vague hints and warnings, and I am nowhere near prepared to face whatever it is. Please, if you know something, I'm _begging_ you, tell me. I need to know what I'm facing."

The White Queen dipped her head until her hair hid her face as she turned back to the fireplace. "The Outlands have always been a place that is a part of Underland, but separate from the rest at the same time. We are all a little mad here, but sometimes that madness, as you have seen, takes a terrible turn. Over the years every bad thing has been banished there, including - including my sister, as you know."

The hitch in Mirana's voice made knots form in Alice's chest. "Yes?"

"The Outlands have a magic all their own, and some, other the years, have learned to harness it and use it to their own advantage and purposes. But - until now - we have been able to beat back whatever they send us with ease."

"Something more powerful is stirring," Alice murmured, half to herself.

Mirana nodded. "Yes. I have not dared send scouts there to investigate, for fear of them being put in danger or even overwhelmed. As I said, the mysterious power of the Outlands, in and of itself, is evil, and in addition it feeds off the evil of its inhabitants. And I know of only one, perhaps two, people with enough power to create a storm of this severity and magnitude."

Alice's breath caught in her throat.

Squaring her shoulders and lifting her head, Mirana turned back to Alice, the pain on her face almost palpable. "I believe my sister is making an attempt to retake Underland."

_~To Be Continued~_

_**Poor Mirana. I must admit that I'm enjoying (as weird as that sounds) exploring her character in deeper detail, and am looking forward to some very juicy stuff I have in store for you all in the coming chapters. In the meantime, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and thanks for reading!**_


	15. Repeat

Please see first chapter for disclaimer, rating, warnings, pairings, etc.

**Author's Note: **I'm semi-back! I say _semi_ because the inspiration for this chapter hit me rather suddenly, so I can't guarantee that I'm back for _good_. I'm afraid if I _do_, what just came before this update will happen again, so - I'm afraid, at the moment, to make promises. But I still remember where this story is going, and even came up with a new twist (yes, I know, _another_ one), so there is still hope. Thank you all _so much_ for your patience during my hiatus, I really appreciate how understanding and kind you all were. I really hope this chapter was worth the wait, and thank you all again from the bottom of my heart!

**-Chapter 15-**

_Repeat_

Alice became so lost in her thoughts after Mirana's revelation that she nearly missed dinner. She had only enough time to throw on the first dress her hand fell upon and slide her feet into velvet slippers; even at that, she had to rush to arrive at the informal dining hall in time.

To her relief, she and Nivens McTwisp arrived at the same time. As usual, he was grasping his pocket watch and muttering frantically about being late, which wasn't very inspiring, but at least Alice was not the _only_ person to arrive last.

Tarrant popped to his feet when he saw her, smiling as he held out her chair for her to slip into. She smiled up at him as he pushed her chair in, then resumed his own. "Everything all right?" he asked her quietly.

"Yes." It was a Lie, through and through, but she couldn't tell him the truth. Not yet.

Outside, thunder rumbled ominously as wind and rain pelted the castle's stone walls.

At the head of the table, Mirana talked, laughed, generally acted like there was nothing wrong. But beneath the veneer of her royal mask, they could all see how concerned she was about what was going on. She'd solved one major problem, but half a dozen others had popped up in its place. She had no idea where to begin to take care of these.

Alice spread her napkin on her lap before reaching for her teacup. She was a reasonable distance down the table from the Queen, so she felt safe asking Tarrant about something that had been nagging at her for a while. "Tarrant? Have storms like these ever struck Marmoreal before?"

His light green eyes flashed briefly toward the White Queen, then away just as quickly. "Aye. Once."

That didn't look good. "What caused it?" she pressed. Alice had to force herself to pick up her fork so she could eat. She couldn't let anyone else at the table know something was amiss.

Tarrant cleared his throat. "I was training to be Royal Hatter at the time," he admitted in a low voice. "The White Queen was still the White Princess at the time, in training to become the sole ruler of Underland. Now you must understand that you are not the only Otherlander to visit. There have been others, and not all have been Alices. There was one who came…" His eyes darkened, and he sighed deeply. Once more, his gaze slid to the queen.

Alice wondered what memories were going through his mind. Leaning a little closer, she took his cue to keep her voice low as she whispered, "What? What happened?" Had the Otherlander tried to hurt the then-princess?

"Being one of the rarest of Visitors from Otherland, he was naturally welcomed into the Court with all the circumstance and hails that are to be expected of such an Esteemed Visitor. It was there he first encountered the White Princess, and their attraction was immediate. Queen Mirana and the Visitor - we do not say his name, for fear of the Bad Time coming around again, you see - courted for a while. They were very much in love."

Though Underland was generally a place of Happy Endings, Alice was beginning to get the feeling that this story did _not_ have a happy ending. "It ended badly, didn't it?" She could barely get the question past her throat, which had seized a bit in dread.

Sighing, Tarrant nodded. "Aye. The Red Princess was so jealous of her sister's suitor - because, you see, he wouldn't even _look_ at her, let alone fall in love with _her_ - that she poisoned their father's mind against him. Queen Mirana managed to convince her father not to kill him, but he was forced to leave Underland and told that if he ever returned, he would be killed immediately."

It took great control not to look at Mirana, who had trilled a laugh at that moment, blissfully ignorant of Alice and Tarrant's dark conversation. "But surely after - well, after her coronation, and she became queen-?"

Her Hatter's eyes had faded to a pale grey. "Time moves very differently in Underland and Otherland, Alice. By the time Mirana gained the throne, her suitor - forced back into a place where Time moves much faster - was long dead. She sent scouts into Otherland to make sure, on the desperate hope that he might still live, but…" He looked down at his plate, which was still mostly full. "She swore to never take another Suitor again in her life."

Alice had to blink back the tears that had immediately gathered in her eyes. "That is _horrible_," she whispered. "Not the part about her not taking another Suitor - I understand that part. But about her father forcing them apart, making him return to Otherland, knowing he would die before Queen Mirana could see him again."

"Aye. The day her Suitor was forced out of Underland, she was so angry, so heartbroken, that a storm the likes of which we had never seen before - and haven't seen again, till now - overtook the Queendom for a long while. Underland, while of a mind of her own, will shift to match the moods of Important Persons, such as a Royal. Particularly if that Person's emotion is one as powerful as Heartbreak."

Alice once more looked toward the head of the table. Now she understood a little more about the Queen, who always seemed so sad beneath her outward appearance of peace and happiness. In her eyes there had always been pain, even on the day she'd gotten her crown back from her sister. At the time Alice had thought it was because she'd had to banish Iracebeth, and perhaps that _had_ been part of it. But now she wondered if Mirana had been thinking about and missing her lost love.

Outside, wind continued to whistle past the windows, driving sheets of rain against the glass. It almost seemed as if night had come early, but it was just that cloudy outside. Night and day blended into one in the storm. It showed no signs of stopping any time soon.

Staring down at her plate, she halfheartedly pushed the food around to make it look like she'd eaten more than she had. Thackery was a wonderful cook, but she just couldn't build up the appetite to do the feast justice. A single thought kept churning in her mind, growing by the minute. "Tarrant?" she said quietly.

He looked up from where he'd been lackadaisically rearranging his own food. "Yes?" he looked desperate for something, anything, to talk about.

However, Alice had a feeling he wouldn't like what she had to say. "I was just thinking about something. Is it possible that this storm is a cover for something, or maybe a distraction?"

Tarrant sighed, the brightness fading from his clothes a bit. "The same thought had occurred to me," he said gloomily. "I was hoping it was just me."

"And I was hoping it was just me." Alice dropped her fork, deciding she would just sip at her tea. "Isn't there anything we, or the Queen, can do to stop this? If not what's coming, at least the storm?"

"I think she's been trying. You can see how well that went." Tarrant hesitated for a long moment, eyes shifting rapidly between blue and grey. "The truth is, I don't know if she _can_ stop it. Whoever is controlling the weather is _very_ powerful. They would have to be."

Alice bit her lower lip, remembering what Mirana had said earlier about her sister. "Could it be the _Bluddy Begh Hid_?" she asked, unconsciously using the Outlandish name the Red Queen had earned.

Suddenly Hatter's face looked very haggard. "The White Queen said something to you, didn't she?"

Reluctantly, Alice nodded. "Yes, she did. She's dropped several hints that she thinks that _might_ be behind all this. That that might be one of the reasons I had to return to Underland."

"Aye. Underland is not the same without an Alice to defend it. And with you being _The Alice_, things flourish so much better when you're around. The world is balanced again."

Alice shifted uncomfortably. "I'm not _that_ important," she muttered. "I slew a Jabberwocky. Surely Underland doesn't depend on me _that_ much."

Tarrant shook his head. "Ye don' understan' ye own importance, luv. Underlan' woul' 'ave been destroyed 'ad ye no' come an' destroyed the Jabberwock. Or, if nae destroyed, a' leas' a very 'orrible place tae be livin'. Even more than it already was. Nae, it's bes' ye're 'ere. Jus' in case."

"I think her being here is more than just a precautionary measure by now, Tarrant," Chessur drawled from his place across the table. "Pardon my rudeness, but I could not help but overhear the conversation. You have not seen the Oraculum lately, have you?"

"Of course not," Hatter scoffed. "That Parchment is only for Absolem and the Queen to see."

"And other Distinguished Citizens," Chess corrected. Lifting one paw, he studied his claws with keen turquoise eyes. "There's a reason she's here. Some might even say-" he lowered his voice, eyes shooting toward the head of the table, then back "-for _treasonous_ reasons."

Eyes glowing orange, Tarrant growled low in his throat. "An' Ah think _yer_ th' treasonous one, Cat. Ah ought tae make a hat outta ya!" His hands curled into fists around the tablecloth.

"Hatter!" Alice grasped his sleeve, shaking it slightly to get his attention.

Blinking twice, he turned back to her with an apologetic smile. "Sorry."

Chessur sighed. "I didn't want to _offend_ you, Tarrant. Or you, Alice. _All_ I'm saying is that there are reasons beyond the obvious." His luminescent eyes turned on her. "You know precisely what I'm saying, don't you, poppet?"

The black background, streaked with red, with Alice in the foreground wearing a crown of Underland. Yes, she knew precisely what the Cat was talking about. "Yes." She cat her eyes downward uncomfortably.

Tarrant stared openly at her. "A-Alice?" he asked uncertainly. "Wha'-?"

"Not here, not now," Alice said softly. "Besides, the Queen told me the fewer people who know about it, the better."

Tarrant scowled. "If you're in danger-"

"I'm not," she interrupted. "Please, Tarrant. This is not the time or place."

He stared at her, his eyes full of hurt. "_Will_ there be a time or place?"

Alice hesitated. To be honest, she wasn't entirely sure there _would_ be, at least until everything - whatever _everything_ entailed - was over. "Yes," she said. "There will be. _Later_."

Nodding reluctantly, as if conceding that that would have to be good enough for now, Tarrant turned back to his plate as Alice morosely contemplated her own.

If something was coming for her, Alice wished it would just hurry up and get there.

* * *

Unsurprisingly, Chessur followed Alice back to her rooms. Since the infuriating feline would follow her in one way or another, she really had no choice but to let him in.

"What do you want, Chess?" Alice asked as soon as she closed the door behind them. She did not invite him to make himself comfortable.

The Cat, naturally, did so even without the invitation. Curling up on the divan, he purred and curled his tail around his tucked paws, resting his chin on its tip. "Alice, darling, what's to say I'm not just in the mood for your company?"

Alice crossed her arms, scowling. "Because I know you, Chessur. What were you thinking at dinner, baiting Tarrant like that? The Queen told me it was best to keep what's in the Oraculum quiet, at least for now. Announcing it at the dinner table wasn't your wisest move."

Chessur rolled his eyes. "Just because _you_ show up in the Oraculum more than any other person in Underland doesn't mean you're the _only_ one to do so," he said. "Apparently it never occurred to you that you're not the only one with a duty to Underland and her people."

Immediately her anger evaporated. "What do you mean? What's happened?"

"To be honest, I have no idea. Which is a truly frightening concept, because I usually know more about what's going on in Underland than anyone else, other than Absolem. And he only knows because he's Keeper of the Oraculum." Chess sighed, tail twitching unhappily. "I saw several things when I looked at the Oraculum. I saw what has the Queen so concerned, plus a few things that have even me unsettled. It seems several beings more powerful than I are working together to keep me in the dark. Please believe me, Alice, I would give you any important information needed to help you - if I had it."

Alice tilted her head to the side. "But earlier, you acted like you knew so much."

"Cats are not the most notoriously honest creatures around. If you have not learned _that_ by now, poppet, I fear we're more in trouble than ever. Most of us are in this only for ourselves, and I admit that in certain situations, that applies to me as well. But, I digress. I still am hoping to be of some help to you - after all, if Underland goes, I go with it."

Chess's speech was _so_ inspiring. "Then you can tell me everything you _do_ know, because I'm not entirely convinced that you don't know _anything_." Alice took a few steps forward but did not ease her stance, deciding that some intimidation might still be beneficial.

"An excellent idea, my dear." Chessur stretched lazily, his teeth appearing in one of his familiar grins. "I fear I don't know much. All I know that there is something stirring in the Outlands - an ancient Magic I thought had been lost _many_ years ago."

"Iracebeth of Crims and her Knave?" Alice guessed.

"Perhaps. I didn't dare venture out further than I did to find out."

"Is that _all_ you found out?" She finally condescended to perch on the arm of the nearest chair.

Grin fading, Chessur sighed gustily and lowered his head again. "Alice, I…"

Alice felt her insides twist. "What, Chess? What's going to happen?"

His eyes darted away from hers guiltily. "I fear someone is going to have to die for Underland to go on," he admitted quietly.

_~End~_

_**As you can see, it's been about 3 years since I last updated this story. I really do hate to say this, but my inspiration has moved on to other things, and I just cannot see myself finishing this story. Even if I do get the urge to finish it, I've grown so much as a writer that whatever I come up with probably won't match the cadence and style of the rest of it. But so many of you have been so nice, and mentioned that you love what I have posted, that I feel horrible just taking the story down. So I'm going to mark it as complete, on permanent hiatus, and leave it here. That leaves it open **_**just in case**_** my inspiration does return, and I can finish this story. But to be honest, I cannot promise that will happen. I am hopeful - but doubtful. (And, to be completely honest, it's been so long I have forgotten most of the ideas I had about where I was taking this story.) Again, I am so, **_**so _very sorry to end this where I did, but I appreciate all of you so much for your support for myself and this story. I treasure every single one of your reviews and re-read them often. Thank you._**


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